Top 10 Rare Balatro Jokers

Now we've gotten to the real deal. The best rare Jokers that make you squeal with joy whenever you see one in the shop.

Even with so many rare Jokers in the wild, only a select few can be crowned jewels. Here are the ones you should anticipate when activating a rare tag.

1. Blueprint

   This joker is essential to any build. It copies the abilities of the joker to its right, allowing for endless synergies that could fill another list on their own. You unlock this joker by finishing ante 8, along with its rare tag. You deserve the best of the best for that incredible performance.

2. Brainstorm

   Same thing as Blueprint, only it triggers the joker on the far left. The synergies are a little more narrow because of the scoring orders, but I like using it with economy and retrigger jokers, especially with ones that give you free items like Cartomancer or Certificate.

   Despite being limited with its synergies, it has a pretty arduous unlock requirement, and that's by discarding a royal flush, which you likely need to finish a blind when you're down to your last hand.

3. DNA

   A joker that creates a copy of the first high card played. It's a cool concept, but it shines the most with Blueprint and Brainstorm, since you'll be able to create more than one of your first drawn card. Great for held-in-hand builds.

4. Baron

   The joker that makes kings the best rank in the whole game. It programs kings to give the same amount of mult as steel cards when held in hand: x1.5 mult. With steel kings, red seals, and Mime, you're basically on track to scoring naneinf. Though not so much if you come face to face with The Plant.

5. Invisible Joker

   After finishing a run with fewer than four jokers, you unlock Invisible Joker. After two rounds, you can sell it to create a copy of one in your hand. A copy of one joker is good by itself, but I always pray for an extra Blueprint when selling this ragamuffin.

6. Ancient Joker

   How to make all of your flush builds elite. Watch this joker give X1.5 mult for scored cards of a random suit, which changes every round.

   With Telescope, a solidly leveled flush, and a balanced number of cards for each suit, you're basically unstoppable. Unless you come across a boss blind that debuffs cards of the currently targeted suit. Even rare jokers aren't without risk and reward systems.

7. Driver's License

   If you have sixteen enhanced cards in your deck, this joker will give you x3 mult. While it doesn't scale any higher, I still think it's a nice one to have. It's probably the only joker in the game whose unlock criteria is the same as its activation one. Way to celebrate your sweet sixteen.

8. Wee Joker

   Oh look, a rare chip joker. *Reads the description* Getting +8 chips for every scored two is pretty solid. Maybe it's available from the start since it's so common. Wait, I have to win the run in less than eighteen rounds?

   Well butter my biscuit, I still think this joker is worth the criteria. If you have Hanging Chad and Hack, retriggering your played twos will scale this joker to as high as +200 chips.

9. Baseball Card

   A baseball player and uncommon jokers walk into a bar. They ask the baseball player what makes him so remarkable, to which he replies: "My joker adds X1.5 mult to every uncommon joker in hand."

   This joker pairs well with the uncommon jokers that are strong for their rarities like Mime and Certificate. The best synergy by far is with the suit-targeting jokers because you can still get mult with Rough Gem.

10. Burnt Joker

    The first poker hand you discard gets upgraded by one level. It's also unlocked by selling fifty jokers and consumables.

    You may scale hands you don't use much, like pair and high card, but the abilities can still be used to your advantage. For flush builds with Ancient Joker, if you have a flush for the suit that isn't targeted, discard it to upgrade your hand. If you have suit-specific tarot cards and wild cards, apply and discard them for the best results.