Poker hands are the backbone of your strategy in Balatro. Every decision you make, from what cards to keep to which Jokers you snag, hinges on the type of hand you’re aiming to build. But not all hands are created equal. Some, like the trusty Flush, are easy to build and stack beautifully with Joker combos. Others, like Five of a Kind, require a little finesse and a lot of planning.
The right foundation is everything. So, if you’re ready to stop playing like it’s Texas Hold ’Em and start playing with a fistful of clowns, let’s break down the best poker hands in Balatro.
Flush
Flushes are quietly one of the strongest hands in Balatro, and they only get better with the right support. A basic Flush is already decent: easy to form, consistent, and full of combo potential. But things get wild with the Smeared Joker, which merges suits. Hearts and Diamonds count as the same, and so do Spades and Clubs, making your Flush odds skyrocket. Add in The Tribe Joker, which doubles your multiplier whenever a Flush is played, and you’re off to the races.
The consistency and flexibility of building around just one color set make this a strong foundation for early and late-game builds alike. It might not seem flashy at first, but trust us: when that multiplier hits x64 and you’re still climbing, you’ll be glad you gave this hand a shot.
Two Pair
At a glance, Two Pair doesn’t seem all that exciting… until you start stacking synergies. With the Spare Trousers Joker, you’ll gain +2 Mult every time your hand is a Two Pair. Simple, right? Now throw in the Square Joker, which gives +4 Chips if your hand has exactly four cards. What do you get? A quick, dirty engine that spits out bonuses fast.
Because Two Pairs show up frequently, this hand lets you reliably farm upgrades and score without needing much setup. If you keep things lean and controlled with exactly four-card hands, you’ll be cashing in chips without needing fancy deck manipulation. Two Pair is the hand for players who want dependable value with room for spicy additions. Two Pair? More like too powerful.
Pair
RELATED: 5 Best Joker Combos in Balatro
Pairs might be the most basic hand in poker, but in Balatro, they’re anything but boring. With The Duo Joker, your Pair hands suddenly start doubling their multiplier, and things get snowball-y fast.
The beauty of Pairs is how early and often they show up, making them an excellent choice for hands-on Jokers and scaling strategies. While they might not bring in the flashiest numbers right away, they’re perfect for stable early-game plays that blossom into serious damage with the right deck upgrades. Think of Pairs as the potato of poker hands: plain on their own, but ridiculously versatile when seasoned right.
Straight
Straights can be tricky to land consistently, but Balatro gives you the tools to cheat fate. The Four Fingers Joker lets you form Flushes and Straights with only four cards. Meanwhile, the Shortcut Joker lets your Straights skip a rank, bridging awkward gaps in your hand. Stack on the Runner Joker, which adds +15 Chips every time you land a Straight, and you’ve got a strong risk-reward engine.
Because of the extra setup required, Straights shine in mid-to-late game when your deck is refined. You’ll need to work a bit to hit them consistently, but the payout is worth it. Straights are for the gamblers at heart who love pushing their luck and pulling off wins at the last second.
Five of a Kind
You’ll need some advanced tactics (and a sprinkle of luck) to pull off Five of a Kind, but when it works, it works. Start by using Death Tarot, which lets you copy cards by converting one into another. Then there’s the rare DNA Joker, which permanently clones a card if you only play one in your first hand of a round. With a little planning, you’ll have an army of identical cards before you know it.
The reward? One of the rarest and most powerful hands in Balatro, with bonus points stacked on top of satisfaction. It’s not easy to set up, but the longer you last in a run, the more tools you unlock to make it happen. This is the go-big-or-go-home strategy, and the only time copy-paste is high-skill.
The post 5 Best Poker Hands in Balatro appeared first on ComicBook.com.
