Summary
While playing through a run ofBalatro, players have to play rounds known as Small and Big Blinds. However, they can choose to skip these Blinds instead. As a reward for doing so,they’ll receive aTag.These have special effects that can help with runs, although some Tags will be far more useful than others.
Every Tag will reward players in some way, but which ones are worth skipping over a Blind to get?There are 24 tags in total, so let’s see which ones will give the biggest advantage when it comes to winning a run.
24Juggle
+3 Hand Size For The Next Round Only
Some Tags can be helpful depending on the situation. If the run is going poorly and a larger hand size could help defeat a Boss Blind, then theJuggle Tagcan be worth skipping over a blind to get.
However, these situations are few and far between. Unless bad choices have decimated the player’s hand size, they won’t often have a reason to choose this Tag over playing a Blind and potentially earning enough money to spend on something worthwhile in the shop. Add the fact that this is only a temporary buff that goes away after the next hand, and Juggle has the makings of a borderline useless Tag.
23Standard
Gives A Free Standard Pack
Playing cards are the main resource inBalatro. They’re needed to make hands and score chips to reach higher Antes and complete a run. Standard Decks will give even more cards to add to a deck. In some cases, this can be a great help, but more often than not, this Tag can be a hindrance when trying to win a run.
TheStandard Taggives a free Mega Standard Pack, which lets players choose 2 of 5 playing cards to add to their deck. However, since the cards in the pack are random, it’s possible that it will only contain low-value cards like 2s or 3s. Sometimes the cards in a Standard Pack will have enhancements, but the chances of getting those are random, too. As with all Tags, this one could be handy depending on the Jokers being used, such as the Hologram Joker, but in most cases, when given the choice between playing the Blind or getting the Standard Tag, it’s better just to play the Blind.
22Meteor
Gives A Free Celestial Pack
Planet cards increase the level of the hand they’re related to. For example, the Jupiter card increases the chip and mult value of Flushes when used. This can make certain hands very valuable throughout a run, so using Planet cards can be a good way to beat some Antes.
That should make theMeteor Tagworth taking since it gives a Mega Celestial Pack, which lets players pick 2 of 5 Planet cards to use immediately. The problem is, like every card pack, the Planet cards inside are random. So, instead of getting a Saturn card to increase the level of Straights, players may be out of luck and forced to upgrade High Cards or Straight Flushes because that’s all that’s available.
While it seems like it should help, buying the Telescope Voucher does not improve the chances of getting the Planet cards players need when using the Meteor Tag.
21Foil
Next Base Edition Shop Joker Is Free And Becomes Foil
Certain card enhancements can dramatically improve the chances of winning a run.Foilis not one of those enhancements. Foil Jokers earn an additional 50 chips on every hand played. In some of the early Antes, that extra chip amount can be helpful.
However, as the run goes on, Foil Jokers become significantly less valuable. That extra 50 chips won’t make much of a difference if the score to beat is 100,000 chips. Plus, it’s impossible to know which Joker will receive this enhancement, which means that it could be applied to a Joker that doesn’t synergize well with other Jokers or is just plain unprofitable. That makes skipping a Blind to get one of these Jokers seem like a waste of time.
20Top-Up
Create Up To Two Common Jokers (Must Have Room)
TheTop-Up Tagis only really useful during the early Antes or if players are having a hard time earning enough money to buy Jokers from the shop. Common Jokers are far from the best Jokers available, but having any Joker is better than having no Jokers. The fact that this Tag potentially rewards players with two free Jokers can be a game-changer, although since they’re chosen at random, they could also be trash, but then they can be sold at the shop, so that’s a bit of extra money.
Players should make sure to have room if they choose this Tag. If they already have four Jokers, then this Tag will only create one. If they already have five Jokers, then this Tag does absolutely nothing.
19Holographic
Next Base Edition Shop Joker Is Free And Becomes Holographic
Scoring extra mult during a hand is often more valuable than scoring additional chips. That’s why any card or Joker that can add extra mult is worth taking since it can help players reach the high scores necessary to clear difficult Stakes.
Holographic Jokers will add +10 mult to every scoring hand, which can help early on in a run. However, much like Foil Jokers, the value of theHolographic Tagbonus begins to dwindle as players reach the later Antes. Holographic cards are worth picking up from the shop, but skipping a Blind to receive a random Holographic Joker isn’t usually a decision thatwins a run.
18Orbital
Upgrade A Poker Hand By 3 Levels
TheOrbital Tagwill upgrade a specific Poker hand by three levels, although players don’t get to decide which hand it will be. Sometimes it may be a hand they’re using, which makes this a solid Tag to take.
Other times, it may be a hand the player isn’t using or is hard to play, like a Straight Flush. Therefore, this Tag can either be a great help or a waste of a skipped Blind, and it’s entirely dependent on RNG.
17Speed
Gives $5 Per Skipped Blind This Run
If players are skipping rounds constantly during a run, then theSpeed Tagcan pay out some big bucks. However, if a run has been going poorly or the Tags haven’t been worth skipping a Blind for, then this Tag won’t line pockets with as much moolah. In this case, the value of the Tag is influenced by the type of run the player kis attempting, and the other Tags that are available during that run.
16Garbage
Gives $1 Per Unused Discard This Run
Discards are often worth using during a round since they can help build the hand needed to pass on to the next Blind. Since theGarbage Tagonly gives a dollar for each unused discard, the reward is unlikely to be very high.
That is, unless a player has a ridiculously good build going that’s been beating most Blinds without the need to discard cards. In that case, this Tag could earn them some decent cash, especially if it’s used during one of the later Antes. Its usefulness will depend on how well the run is going.
15Handy
Gives $1 Per Played Hand This Run
Playing hands is sort of the main gameplay mechanic inBalatro, so chances are that quite a few hands will have to be played going into the later Antes. Since theHandy Taggives a buck for each played hand, it could potentially make some serious bank.
Strangely enough, this Tag can be made worse if players have a strong build. If the Jokers and enhancements are so good that they’re beating Blinds with a single hand, then the amount of money earned with the Handy Tag won’t be as high. However, it still has a better potential to make money than some other Tags.
