Balatro lets you play the roguelike in many ways, and Tarot Cards is a system in itself. Jokers take the acclaim, but sometimes you don’t need them if you know how to use Tarot Cards. This walkthrough aims to show you the tips and tricks to triumph.
I write this guide as someone who’s been on the other side of the fence: Wondering what a Joker does when it appears, and being blindsided by Planet Cards, Spectral Cards, Antes, round conditions, and Tarot Cards. Balatro’s popularity has risen even further thanks to Xbox Game Pass, and there are more new (and just as confused) players than ever.
You’re here because you seek information about Balatro’s Tarot Cards—one of the roguelike’s many consumables. This explanation aims to solve a lot of your confusion and simplify the concept.
What do Tarot Cards do in Balatro?
Tarot Cards are a special consumable designed to manipulate your deck to give you more of the cards you want, change card suits, give you more Jokers, and add to your money.
I can tell you Tarot Cards are so good you can win games of Balatro using only them. The Star, The Moon, The Sun, and The World can change three cards to the different suits. This is great if you want a Flush deck, Flush House, or Flush Five for big scores.
Tarot Cards are also a great money-making method, with Temperance and The Hermit assisting your economy. Plus, using Tarot Cards can create an abundance of Glass Cards and Steel Cards—which can win games on their own!
All Tarot Cards in Balatro & What They Do
There are 22 Tarot Cards in Balatro, each with a unique function. Knowing what each one does is vital as you can get free money and enhance your deck with special cards.
If you ever need a quick list to cross-reference, here’s every Tarot Card in Balatro and its purpose.
| Tarot Card Name | What it Does |
|---|---|
| The Fool | Creates the last Tarot or Planet card used during this run (The Fool excluded). |
| The Magician | Enhances 2 selected cards into Lucky Cards. |
| The High Priestess | Creates up to 2 random Planet cards (must have room). |
| The Empress | Enhances 2 selected cards to Mult Cards. |
| The Emperor | Creates up to 2 random Tarot cards (must have room). |
| The Hierophant | Enhances 2 selected cards to Bonus Cards. |
| The Lovers | Enhances 1 selected card into a Wild Card. |
| The Chariot | Enhances 1 selected card into a Steel Card. |
| Justice | Enhances 1 selected card into a Glass Card. |
| The Hermit | Doubles money (maximum of $20). |
| The Wheel of Fortune | 1 in 4 chance to add Foil, Holographic, or Polychrome edition to a random Joker. |
| Strength | Increases rank of up to 2 selected cards by 1. |
| The Hanged Man | Destroys up to 2 selected cards. |
| Death | Select 2 cards, convert the left card into the right card (drag to rearrange). |
| Temperance | Gives the total sell value of all current Jokers (max of $50). |
| The Devil | Enhances 1 selected card into a Gold Card. |
| The Tower | Enhances 1 selected card into a Stone Card. |
| The Star | Converts up to 3 selected cards to Diamonds. |
| The Moon | Converts up to 3 selected cards to Clubs. |
| The Sun | Converts up to 3 selected cards to Hearts. |
| Judgment | Creates a random Joker card (must have room). |
| The World | Converts up to 3 selected cards to Spades. |
How to Get Tarot Cards in Balatro
You can get Tarot Cards from Arcana Packs, as random Cards in the Store, through certain Joker conditions, Purple-Seal Cards, choosing the Zodiac Deck, and you can increase the amount of Tarot Cards that appear in the end-of-round Shop through the Tarot Merchant and Tarot Tycoon Vouchers.
Arcana Packs
You can buy Arcana Packs or earn them as a free reward for skipping a Blind. Choosing a Jumbo or Mega Pack is a better choice though as this allows you to have a bigger selection of cards and choose two of five with a Mega Pack.
Jokers
Balatro has a few Jokers that can give Tarot Cards under certain conditions. Here’s a list of each one and how it works:
- 8-Ball Joker—Has a “1 in 4 chance for each played 8 to create a Tarot card when scored (Must have room)”
- Superposition—”Create a Tarot card if poker hand contains an Ace and a Straight. (Must have room)”
- Vagabond—”Create a Tarot card if hand is played with $4 or less.”
- Hallucination—”1 in 2 chance to create a Tarot card when any Booster Pack is opened. (Must have room)”
- Showman—”Joker, Tarot, Planet, and Spectral cards may appear multiple times.”
- Cartomancer—”Create a Tarot card when Blind is selected. (Must have room)”
Purple Seals
If you add a card to your deck with a Purple Seal, or say you create one using the Medium Spectral Card, you can discard that card during a Blind, and it automatically generates a Tarot Card.
Store
Tarot Cards can appear in the Shop after defeating a blind. It’s completely random, but it’s an option—and each Reroll gives you a chance of pulling a Tarot Card.
Vouchers
The Tarot Merchant and Tarot Tycoon Vouchers increase your chances of Tarot Cards appearing in the Shop. Here’s each voucher, how to unlock it, and what it does.
| Voucher Name | What it Does | How to Unlock |
|---|---|---|
| Tarot Merchant | Tarot Cards appear 2X more frequently in the shop. | Already unlocked from the beginning. |
| Tarot Tycoon | Tarot Cards appear 4X more frequently in the shop. | Buy a total of 50 Tarot Cards from the shop. |
Zodiac Deck
The Zodiac Deck starts you with the following goodies: Tarot Merchant, Planet Merchant, and Overstock.
Tarot and Planet Cards feature heavily in the Shop as a result. In this case, you get more Tarot Cards than you would normally. Plus, if you have Tarot Tycoon unlocked, you’ve already bypassed Tarot Merchant and are one step closer to it.
I hope you leave this guide knowing more (if not everything) about Balatro’s Tarot Cards. It’s an incredible mechanic that can shape decks, win runs, and deliver astounding results. If you have more questions about Tarot Cards—or other Balatro gameplay mechanics—leave a comment below.
If you enjoyed this Balatro guide, I have good news as we have many more. Expand your knowledge by knowing what -1 Ante -1 Hand each round means, how to beat The Plant Boss Blind, what the Blank Voucher does, and you need to check out the best Balatro Seeds.
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