This poker rouge-lite can turn the card game you know into something completely new. Balatro features card enhancements, Jokers with unique effects, and a couple of keywords, including Antes and Blinds, that are a core part of the gameplay.
Here’s everything you need to know about Antes and Blinds in Balatro.
Antes in Balatro, explained
An Ante in Balatro is a floor. Every run consists of eight Antes with three Blinds: Small Blind, Big Blind, and Boss Blind. After you defeat the Boss Blind, you advance to the next Ante, refreshing and raising all the Blinds.
Clearing all eight Antes completes the run, unlocking new Decks you can try out. However, you can also keep playing after completing the run by entering the Endless Mode. The rules and the flow of the game remain the same, so keep playing for as long as you want.
Blinds in Balatro, explained
A Blind in Balatro is an individual round you play during an Ante. This is where you play your cards and score as many Chips as possible to hit the target. Every Ante has a Small Blind, Big Blind, and Boss Blind. The first two are regular rounds that you can play to earn cash and get access to the shop, or skip if you want to get a Tag.
The Boss Blind is the final round in each Ante. Apart from not being able to skip the Boss Blind, it also has a random modifier you must play around.
All Blinds in Balatro
While Small and Big Blinds aren’t anything special, the Boss Blinds can do some serious damage if you come unprepared. Always make sure to check its effect at the start of the Ante and try to account for it when choosing new Jokers, using Tarot Cards, and more.
Here are all the Boss Blinds in Balatro:
| Blind | Effect |
|---|---|
| Forces one card to always be selected. | No effect. |
| Big Blind | No effect. |
| The Hook | Discards two random cards per hand played. |
| The Ox | Playing your most played hand this run sets your money to zero. |
| The House | First hand is drawn face down. |
| The Wall | Extra large blind. |
| The Wheel | One in seven cards get drawn face down. |
| The Arm | Decreases level of played poker hand. |
| The Club | All Club cards are debuffed. |
| The Fish | Cards are drawn face down after each hand played. |
| The Psychic | Cards are drawn face down after each hand played. |
| The Goad | All Spade cards are debuffed. |
| The Water | Start with zero discards. |
| The Window | All Diamond cards are debuffed. |
| The Manacle. | -1 Hand Size. |
| The Eye | No repeat hand types can be played this round. |
| The Mouth | Only one hand type can be played this round. |
| The Plant | All face cards are debuffed. |
| The Serpent | After Play or Discard, always draw three cards. |
| The Pillar | Cards played previously this Ante are debuffed. |
| The Needle | Play only one hand. |
| The Head | All Heart cards are debuffed. |
| The Tooth | Lose $1 per card played. |
| The Flint | Base Chips and Mult are halved. |
| The Mark | All face cards are drawn face down. |
| Amber Acorn | Flips and shuffles all Joker cards |
| Verdant Leaf | All cards debuffed until one Joker is sold. |
| Violet Vessel | Very large blind. |
| Crimson Heart | One random Joker is disabled every hand. |
| Cerulean Bell | Forces to one card to always be selected. |
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