What are the different types of playing cards in Balatro?
Summary
Q.What are the different types of playing cards in Balatro?
A.Balatro expands the classic 52-card deck with several card families that modify or augment your hands: Jokers, Tarot cards, Planet cards, Spectral cards, and Vouchers, all used across 15 Decks. Key counts include 150 Jokers, 22 Tarot cards, 12 Planet Cards (with secret variants), 18 Spectral Cards, and 32 Vouchers.
More info
Balatro’s playing-card ecosystem is built from six interlocking card families that drive deckbuilding and scoring. The core remains a standard 52-card deck, with Jokers held separately in a dedicated pool to be drafted and used for synergies. There are 150 Jokers in total (105 available from the start, 45 unlockable), with rarities and editions that can be enhanced by modifiers. Jokers (balatrowiki.org)
Beyond Jokers, you can augment your regular cards with three major consumable types: Tarot Cards (22 distinct variants that alter suits/ranks and grant extra effects), Planet Cards (12 total, some secret; they level up the associated poker hand in-play), and Spectral Cards (18 powerful but often costly modifiers). Tarot Cards Planet Cards Spectral Cards (balatrogame.fandom.com)
Vouchers add permanent, run-wide buffs (32 total, paired as base/upgrade options) and influence how you shop, reroll, or sustain card effects. The shop, boosters, and challenges also influence how modifiers appear on cards. Finally, Balatro features 15 distinct Decks to tailor your run, ranging from the base sets to advanced unlocks. Vouchers / Decks (balatrogame.fandom.com)
For the baseline, Balatro starts you with a 52-card deck per standard rules, but Spectral and Arcana dynamics can introduce or modify cards in ways that dramatically shift hand strength. Ghost Deck (base 52 cards) (balatrogame.fandom.com)
