Balatro Tarot Cards: All 22, Ranked

Exact effects, a tier list, and when each Tarot is worth using. Effects come from the game files; tiers average 8 player tier lists.

Updated October 2026

Quick answer

Tarot cards are consumables that cost $3 and change your playing cards, your money, or your Jokers. The strongest picks in most runs are The Hanged Man, Death, The Hermit, Temperance, and The Fool: deck shaping and money help every run. Enhancement Tarots like Justice are best used right away on cards you already score with.

Tarot tier list

Averaged from 8 player tier lists (2024 to 2025). The right pick still depends on your Jokers.

S tier

A tier

B tier

C tier

D tier

Each card's tier is the average of 8 player tier lists: ZainoTV's 2025 consumable tier list and 7 community lists from TierMaker. S counts 5, A 4, B 3, C 2, D 1, then cards are cut into tiers by score. Gaming-site "top 10" articles were excluded because they disagree with each other and with players. Effects are checked against the game's data files (version 1.0.1).

The tier list can't see your run. BalatroBuddy can.

Tell it your hand and Jokers, and it tells you which Tarot to use, which cards to target, and why.

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Hand is K♠ K♥ K♦ Q♣ 9♥ 7♦ 4♣ 2♠. Where should The Chariot go?

BalatroBuddy: Make a King Steel. Kings held in hand already trigger Baron, and Mime retriggers them, so a Steel King adds another X1.5 Mult on every one of those triggers. The low cards are not part of your engine, so enhancing one wastes The Chariot.

All 22 Tarot cards

Grouped by what they do, best first within each group. Tap a card for full details and synergies.

Deck shaping

Remove, copy, or rank up cards

The Hanged Man

Destroys up to 2 selected cards.

Best when: Anytime. Thinning makes every draw better.

Tier S

Death

Turns the left card into a copy of the right card.

Best when: Copying an enhanced or high-value card.

Tier S

Strength

Raises the rank of up to 2 cards by 1.

Best when: Early, before Death, to stack one rank for Baron or Photograph.

Tier B

Money

Cash and Joker editions

The Hermit

Doubles your money, up to $20.

Best when: You have close to $20. Gives nothing while in debt.

Tier S

Temperance

Gives the total sell value of your Jokers, up to $50.

Best when: Late, when your Jokers have high sell value.

Tier S

The Wheel of Fortune

1 in 4 chance to add Foil, Holographic, or Polychrome to a random Joker.

Best when: Your Jokers have no edition yet. Odds: 12.5% Foil, 8.75% Holo, 3.75% Polychrome.

Tier C

Enhancements

Upgrade cards you already play

The Magician

Turns up to 2 cards into Lucky cards.

Best when: You have Lucky Cat or Oops! All 6s.

Tier A

Justice

Turns 1 card into a Glass card.

Best when: Your highest scoring card, late game.

Tier A

The Devil

Turns 1 card into a Gold card.

Best when: Cards you keep holding. Pays $3 each round it ends in your hand.

Tier A

The Chariot

Turns 1 card into a Steel card.

Best when: Baron, Mime, or held-in-hand builds.

Tier B

The Empress

Turns up to 2 cards into Mult cards.

Best when: Cards you play in almost every hand.

Tier C

The Hierophant

Turns up to 2 cards into Bonus cards.

Best when: Chip-starved builds in the early antes.

Tier C

The Lovers

Turns 1 card into a Wild card.

Best when: Flush builds, Flower Pot, or Seeing Double.

Tier D

The Tower

Turns 1 card into a Stone card.

Best when: Stone Joker builds. Rarely otherwise.

Tier D

Card creation

Make new consumables or Jokers

The Fool

Creates a copy of the last Tarot or Planet card used.

Best when: Right after a strong Tarot like Death or Hanged Man.

Tier S

The Emperor

Creates up to 2 random Tarot cards.

Best when: You have open consumable slots or Fortune Teller.

Tier A

The High Priestess

Creates up to 2 random Planet cards.

Best when: You have Constellation: 2 Planets means +X0.2 Mult.

Tier B

Judgement

Creates a random Joker.

Best when: You have an open Joker slot. Odds: 70% Common, 25% Uncommon, 5% Rare.

Tier B

Suit changers

Push a flush build

The Star

Converts up to 3 cards to Diamonds.

Best when: Diamond flush builds.

Tier C

The Moon

Converts up to 3 cards to Clubs.

Best when: Club flush builds.

Tier C

The Sun

Converts up to 3 cards to Hearts.

Best when: Heart flush builds.

Tier C

The World

Converts up to 3 cards to Spades.

Best when: Spade flush builds.

Tier C

Not sure which of these fits your run?

Describe your Jokers and hand. BalatroBuddy picks the Tarot and the target cards.

Tarot card questions

What is the best Tarot card in Balatro?

Players rank The Hanged Man, Death, The Hermit, Temperance, and The Fool highest. The first two shape your deck, the next two make money, and The Fool copies whichever you used last.

How much do Tarot cards cost?

$3 in the shop. Arcana Packs also offer them: choose 1 of 3 (Normal), 1 of 5 (Jumbo), or 2 of 5 (Mega).

Should I use Tarot cards right away?

Usually yes for enhancements on cards you already play. Hold The Fool, The Hermit, and Temperance until they are worth the most, such as Hermit when you have close to $20.

Which Tarot cards are best for a flush build?

The Star, The Moon, The Sun, and The World each convert up to 3 cards to one suit. Pick the suit you already have the most of, and add The Lovers for a Wild card.