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Balatro’s hand ranking is best read as in-game precedence and level-1 scoring potential—not a universal measure of which hand is best in every run. In the PC version 1.0.1o reference dated February 24, 2025, Flush Five ranks highest among the 12 independently levelable hand types, while High Card ranks lowest. Royal Flush appears as a separate display name but shares Straight Flush’s scoring and leveling track.
Balatro hand types ranked by level-1 base score
The table orders the 12 levelable hand types by listed in-game precedence. Base score is Chips multiplied by Mult before other card, Joker, or run effects. The figures and per-level gains below come from Game Design Lab’s reference for PC version 1.0.1o, dated February 24, 2025, which says it checked values against game data and compared them with community references. Values may change between versions; check the current Run Info panel for the figures in your game.
| Rank | Hand type | Level-1 base (Chips × Mult) | Gain per level (Chips, Mult) | How it is made |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Flush Five | 160 × 16 | +50, +3 | Five cards of the same rank and suit; requires a deck altered to allow it. |
| 2 | Flush House | 140 × 14 | +40, +4 | A Full House and Flush together; requires a deck altered to allow it. |
| 3 | Five of a Kind | 120 × 12 | +35, +3 | Five cards of the same rank; requires a deck altered to allow it. |
| 4 | Straight Flush | 100 × 8 | +40, +4 | Five consecutive ranks in one suit. |
| 5 | Four of a Kind | 60 × 7 | +30, +3 | Four cards of the same rank. |
| 6 | Full House | 40 × 4 | +25, +2 | Three cards of one rank and two of another. |
| 7 | Flush | 35 × 4 | +15, +2 | Five cards of one suit. |
| 8 | Straight | 30 × 4 | +30, +3 | Five consecutive ranks. |
| 9 | Three of a Kind | 30 × 3 | +20, +2 | Three cards of the same rank. |
| 10 | Two Pair | 20 × 2 | +20, +1 | Two distinct pairs. |
| 11 | Pair | 10 × 2 | +15, +1 | Two cards of the same rank. |
| 12 | High Card | 5 × 1 | +10, +1 | No other listed combination. |
Game Design Lab lists 13 named hand displays when Royal Flush is included, but it is not a thirteenth independent levelable hand. A Royal Flush is a qualifying Straight Flush whose scoring cards are all rank 10 or higher; it uses Neptune and shares Straight Flush’s 100 × 8 level-1 base and +40 Chips, +4 Mult per-level gain. It has no separate Planet card or leveling track.
What this ranking does—and does not—tell you
Balatro’s official FAQ describes the core loop this way: “In Balatro, you play Poker Hands to increase your score and beat each round in turn.” The ranking above compares a hand’s starting Chips and Mult plus its fixed gain when leveled. It does not predict the final score of a played hand: card effects, hand levels, Jokers, and the run’s scoring setup can change the result substantially.
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That distinction matters when choosing what to play or level. A lower-ranked hand can gain meaningful Chips and Mult through repeated leveling, and a Joker or deck alteration may make a particular hand easier to build or more valuable in your run. Treat the table as a baseline, not a universal strategy tier list.
Quick Recap
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How to use the ranking in a run
- Check the available hand list: open Run Info and review the hand information shown in your current game. The official FAQ notes that some “super secret hands” are omitted until discovered.
- Compare the base and level gain: use the table to see both the hand’s starting score and its per-level increase; they are separate measures.
- Account for your deck: Flush Five, Flush House, and Five of a Kind depend on deck alterations such as duplicated ranks or suit conversion, so their high baselines do not make them routine options in an unmodified deck.
- Factor in your build: consider your Jokers and other card effects before favoring a hand solely because it appears higher in the ranking.
Sources and version context
- Balatro official FAQ, Playstack for gameplay context, Run Info, and secret-hand visibility.
- Game Design Lab’s hand reference for the PC version 1.0.1o values and leveling gains cited above.
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