poker is not the most exciting game to play alone. Even against computer players in a video game, poker isn’t much fun. Balatro– now available on Xbox, PlayStation, Switch and PC – understands this. Instead of playing against other opponents and placing bets, this roguelike deck builder is all about forming winning hands and collecting powerful cards to score big combos. And there is also a strange cosmic magic. Don’t worry about it.
Balatro isn’t really a poker game. It uses poker hands and mechanics – such as small and large blinds, chips and discards – but you don’t compete against another player or even an NPC. Instead, your goal is in Balatro
Although it’s not technically poker, if you’ve played a lot of poker – like me – you’ll understand a lot of the game right away. Knowing basic hands like a full house or a straight will help you get started right away. However, even my poker knowledge ultimately only got me so far. (If you don’t score the required points in a set number of hands, you fail and have to start over.)
First, you can achieve it by simply forming solid poker hands. This will be enough to give you the chips you need to advance to more difficult levels. But at some point a straight flush or a full house will no longer be enough – then comes the other part Balatro enter the game. As you play hands and earn chips, you also earn money that you can use to purchase new cards and abilities that increase your combination possibilities.
For example, you may be given a joker that allows you to make straights without any number needed. (So 3, 4, 6, 7, 9 would work.) Other cards can give you bonuses if you play them in certain hands, or the chance for big rewards, or disappear forever. You can also use money to unlock cosmic cards that improve your hands, making a full house deal more points than a straight flush. This is where your poker knowledge could cause problems. You want to play three of a kind, but then remember that you upgraded your pair hand to get more points. Sometimes it is better to play a weaker hand, which adds a fun touch to the experience.
After the first run through the tutorial, I recommend going into the settings and increasing the game speed a bit. Balatro plays much better when it moves quickly. It feels snappier. Additionally, the slower pace could become annoying for people who are familiar with poker hands and deck builders.
But regardless of how fast you play Balatro, you’ll probably get addicted. A few times I had to force myself to stop playing because I was stuck in a loop of thinking, “Just one more level. Just one more hand. Let’s see what cool new Joker I unlock next…” And soon enough I was lost in the game for another 20 minutes when I was supposed to be doing something else.
So be careful. Balatro is fun, but if you’re a big poker fan and/or love a good deck builder, this game might be difficult to escape.