[Hack](https://balatro.wiki/imported/hack.png) *Joker*
* Version: 1.0.0
* Rarity: Uncommon
* Effect: Retrigger each played 2, 3, 4, or 5
[Fibonacci](https://balatro.wiki/imported/fibonacci.png) *Joker*
* Version: 1.0.0
* Rarity: Uncommon
* Effect: Each played Ace, 2, 3, 5, or 8 gives +8 Mult when scored
*Data pulled from http://balatro.wiki. Want it updated? Help me get access or suggest another data source.*
I basically had that run a few days ago. Hiker/poly fibonacci/superposition.
Melted through everything up until the ante where despite moving through over half my deck, i failed to pull any of my 5 2s to complete the straight I otherwise had from the start :(
[DNA](https://balatro.wiki/imported/dna.png) *Joker*
* Version: 1.0.0
* Rarity: Rare
* Effect: If first hand of round has only 1 card, add a permanent copy to deck and draw it to hand
*Data pulled from http://balatro.wiki. Want it updated? Help me get access or suggest another data source.*
If you're cutting anything, cutting the dummy ends is the way to go. You want the cards that can make most straights, so for abandoned the Aces and Tens would be first to go
This is good advice if you’re worried about consistency, but since the deck size is already reduced on Abandoned I think it makes sense to opt for the slightly improved scoring from keeping Aces and looking for Fibonacci, Scholar, etc.
If you're cutting anything, you want to start with either end of the spectrum. Aces aren't that amazing since you can only make the A-5 straight, and the added chips are negligible.
Like I said "If you're cutting anything..." You don't need to cut anything to make straights work. There are more pressing things to make it viable than that.
[Hack](https://balatro.wiki/imported/hack.png) *Joker*
* Version: 1.0.0
* Rarity: Uncommon
* Effect: Retrigger each played 2, 3, 4, or 5
*Data pulled from http://balatro.wiki. Want it updated? Help me get access or suggest another data source.*
Oh man. I swear I played an ace-5 straight in one of my first games and it didn’t score. I assumed ace was high only and I’ve never played it again. Have I seriously played like 20 hours of Balatro wrong 🤣
Straight are my most played hand, and I’ve won on gold stake with it many times on various decks
The straight planet is very powerful, I’d recommend targeting planet packs over tarot if you have to choose
And because the planet is strong, you need less jokers for scoring, and you can use the extra slots for economy and utility
Id suggest removing the high and low cards (K,A,2,3) and make as many of the middle cards as you can. Prioritize hand size vouchers and jokers
Also if you have a normal hand size (8) and draw something like 10,9,8,6 in the opening, I’d discard the 6 instead of holding onto it hoping you find a 7. The more cards you can discard at once, the better chance you have to find what you need
I respectfully disagree with discarding the 6 in the example you laid out. The gap between the 8 and 6 is referred to as a “gutshot” in poker parlance. You should def go for gutshots, sometimes even “double gut shots” like 10,8,7,6,4. It depends on how many Discards remain and the make up of the remaining deck. It’s a bummer to ditch the 6 in the 10,9,8,6 only to get a 7 but then have one less 6 to find. Don’t take my word for it, search “poker gutshot”.
Best but very challenging way to learn Straights is Jokerless Challenge, sticking to Saturns. It’s very difficult, but you’ll have a very strong grasp on Straights after you beat it.
Like others have said, focus on Saturn planets which scale VERY strongly. Cut the ends of your deck (King 2s Ace 3s) try to have +1 5-10 than the rest of your cards, and use tarot buffs on them as well.
Straights benefit more than any other deck build from cutting down deck size, so focus that as well. Usually you will only need to play one straight to clear an ante. Without fixing your deck properly, eventually you will fail to discard into a straight and it will cost you the run.
Shortcut is also the best joker if you can find it.
Reduce the number of different values in the deck. It’s easiest to start by remove aces, Kings, 2s, and 3s. Then start to make it even more narrow.
You also want to have a slightly higher frequency of cards near the middle of your deck. For instance maybe you want to use Death to turn some face cards into 6s, 7s, and 8s.
In general you want to have fewer cards in the deck. Aim for the high 30s or low 40s. Also, try to get steel or gold blue seal cards that are towards the middle of your deck range.
I would not recommend going for the high straight, the face down face cards boss ruins you and an ace can only be used in two straights, a king can only be used in three straights
10-6 is usually what I shoot for, all of those numbers can be used in 5 different straights
Are you saying you can't wrap straights around Aces? I have built a K-4 before, and I don't recall having four fingers either. I could be mistaken, but maybe you could test it for yourself to be sure. I agree that the face-down boss alone would make it worth removing face cards though.
I find it's better to use jokers to make straights easier than tarot cards to fiddle the deck.
[[Shortcut]] and/or [[Four fingers]] are the only time I'm even attempting a straight build really. That or lots of discards and burn away lots of low ranking cards to make the chances of linked cards easier.
[Shortcut](https://balatro.wiki/imported/shortcut.png) *Joker*
* Version: 1.0.0
* Cost: $5
* Rarity: Uncommon
* Effect: Allows Straights to be made with gaps of 1 rank
* Notes: (ex. 2 3 5 7 8)
[Four Fingers](https://balatro.wiki/imported/five_fingers.png) *Joker*
* Version: 1.0.0
* Cost: $6
* Rarity: Uncommon
* Effect: All Flushes and Straights can be made with 4 cards
*Data pulled from http://balatro.wiki. Want it updated? Help me get access or suggest another data source.*
i usually pick one of the ace straights, and cut everything else. If i get a cool 2-5 i’ll build around ace-low, cut everything else and hunt for hack. if i find a wicked face card ill fish for ace-high and cut everything else. I tend to aim for about 6 each of the 5 cards i want because i like a small(er) deck but as long as you’re adding evenly, you could have a bit more of each card.
I usually go for A-10 (remove 5-2 before 7,8,9), buy celestial for saturn and build econ for more removal and deck refining. Because saturn has excellent scaling, just focus on getting money, xMult or more scaling. Runner and shortcut are easy picks for me. Always keep a Strength or Death if possible in case of bad hand. Also open card pack and spectral pack for blue seals. Steel cards and glass cards also help but dont hesitate to discard them if you havent found your straight yet. GLHF!
One thing that is super helpful is extra hand size. You can hold more useful cards when discarding, and more blue seals. It’s not always achievable, but the Jokers and Vouchers that give it work great with straights.
Also why Painted deck likes straights. More hand size = easier hand, and Painted likes more non-Joker power, which Saturns provide en masse. Also again, blue seals.
Start with a polo, 9” inseam shorts, sunglasses and a can of Zyn. Put a voice box that when you pull a string he says “How the hell are ya?”
Oh, you mean the poker hand? No idea.
when I was going for joker less I went for the straight strategy
I aimed to remove any low tier cards (I picked 7 and below just so I had 9 and 8 to flex my straight up and down )
I also didn't want to affect the ratio of available high cards
Hand size is very important for straights because at most you'll always be holding 4 cards waiting for the fifth, and as always more discards is always better
I trim extremes. Ideally you want the card you have the most of to be the center card. Even if you are doing A-10 you want to have more queens than aces and then leave the 9s etc. generally speaking I center based on jokers or cool cards out of standard packs.
[Ride the Bus](https://balatro.wiki/imported/ride_the_bus.png) *Joker*
* Version: 1.0.0
* Cost: $5
* Rarity: Common
* Effect: +1 Mult per consecutive hand played without a scoring face card
* Notes: Stacks
*Data pulled from http://balatro.wiki. Want it updated? Help me get access or suggest another data source.*
Remove as many cards from your deck as possible. If your deck is thin enough you can see all of your card by discarding so you can guarantee whatever straight you want that you can build from your cards.
I usually pick low or high depending on what Jokers I have. So like if I got Fibonacci, I'm going A,2,3,4,5. In both cases I try to get rid of the middle cards. Whether you're building high or low, you won't need 6,7,8, or 9.
Aim for 10-6 straights. Cut Aces and twos. Then Kings, 3s Queens, 4s, Jacks, and 5s. You can even add cards ranked 6-10 to increase your chances of not dead drawing, but cutting the ends is definitely the best way. Getting rid of face cards protects against any bosses that debuff face cards. Unless you have a reroll voucher, that is a huge risk to build straights containing face cards but sometimes the game pushes you into it so 🤷
So Death, Hanged Man, and Strength are the Tarot cards you are looking for.
The abandoned deck already has face cards removed. I like cutting 10-6 and then playing ace-5 straights. Focus on hanged man and death tarot cards.
Also, Bus is nuts on this.
At least buy me dinner first
Why cut 10-6 when they give 10+9+8+7+6 = 40 chips compared to 11+5+4+3+2 = 25 chips ?
Because 15 chips down the road is unnoticeable, and then you can focus on cards like [[Hack]] and [[Fibonacci]]
[Hack](https://balatro.wiki/imported/hack.png) *Joker* * Version: 1.0.0 * Rarity: Uncommon * Effect: Retrigger each played 2, 3, 4, or 5 [Fibonacci](https://balatro.wiki/imported/fibonacci.png) *Joker* * Version: 1.0.0 * Rarity: Uncommon * Effect: Each played Ace, 2, 3, 5, or 8 gives +8 Mult when scored *Data pulled from http://balatro.wiki. Want it updated? Help me get access or suggest another data source.*
Ok thanks, that makes sense.
Ive been dying to get a decent hack/fibonacci or wee joker run one of these days, just hasn't worked out yet. Throw in a hiker for some extra too.
I basically had that run a few days ago. Hiker/poly fibonacci/superposition. Melted through everything up until the ante where despite moving through over half my deck, i failed to pull any of my 5 2s to complete the straight I otherwise had from the start :(
Throw in a [[DNA]] and the GigaChad. Baby you got a stew!
[DNA](https://balatro.wiki/imported/dna.png) *Joker* * Version: 1.0.0 * Rarity: Rare * Effect: If first hand of round has only 1 card, add a permanent copy to deck and draw it to hand *Data pulled from http://balatro.wiki. Want it updated? Help me get access or suggest another data source.*
Superposition supremacy
Some jokers can buff the low straight, like superposition and hack
If you're cutting anything, cutting the dummy ends is the way to go. You want the cards that can make most straights, so for abandoned the Aces and Tens would be first to go
This is good advice if you’re worried about consistency, but since the deck size is already reduced on Abandoned I think it makes sense to opt for the slightly improved scoring from keeping Aces and looking for Fibonacci, Scholar, etc.
If you're cutting anything, you want to start with either end of the spectrum. Aces aren't that amazing since you can only make the A-5 straight, and the added chips are negligible. Like I said "If you're cutting anything..." You don't need to cut anything to make straights work. There are more pressing things to make it viable than that.
Yeah, that slight chip difference is so incredibly small past the first ante or 2. Consistency will bring more Ws.
aces and low ranking cards have some better jokers, [[hack]] especially, which on its own takes the bonus chips from 11+2+3+4+5=25 to 11+4+6+8+10=39
[Hack](https://balatro.wiki/imported/hack.png) *Joker* * Version: 1.0.0 * Rarity: Uncommon * Effect: Retrigger each played 2, 3, 4, or 5 *Data pulled from http://balatro.wiki. Want it updated? Help me get access or suggest another data source.*
Oh man. I swear I played an ace-5 straight in one of my first games and it didn’t score. I assumed ace was high only and I’ve never played it again. Have I seriously played like 20 hours of Balatro wrong 🤣
I've seen straights as the most bugged hand.
Same here. Well shit.
I always cut aces, no matter if I'm playing higher or lower straights. Idk if it's completely right but it feels right.
Straight are my most played hand, and I’ve won on gold stake with it many times on various decks The straight planet is very powerful, I’d recommend targeting planet packs over tarot if you have to choose And because the planet is strong, you need less jokers for scoring, and you can use the extra slots for economy and utility Id suggest removing the high and low cards (K,A,2,3) and make as many of the middle cards as you can. Prioritize hand size vouchers and jokers Also if you have a normal hand size (8) and draw something like 10,9,8,6 in the opening, I’d discard the 6 instead of holding onto it hoping you find a 7. The more cards you can discard at once, the better chance you have to find what you need
I respectfully disagree with discarding the 6 in the example you laid out. The gap between the 8 and 6 is referred to as a “gutshot” in poker parlance. You should def go for gutshots, sometimes even “double gut shots” like 10,8,7,6,4. It depends on how many Discards remain and the make up of the remaining deck. It’s a bummer to ditch the 6 in the 10,9,8,6 only to get a 7 but then have one less 6 to find. Don’t take my word for it, search “poker gutshot”. Best but very challenging way to learn Straights is Jokerless Challenge, sticking to Saturns. It’s very difficult, but you’ll have a very strong grasp on Straights after you beat it.
Appreciate the perspective, I’ll check it out And great advice on jokerless, I couldn’t agree more
Well it's harder to build them in June... #PrideMonthJoke
Thats makes sense, ill try again in july
Honestly have had easier time to build straights this month, I tried to build gays but spare parts are in high demand. I wouldn't try in july.
Like others have said, focus on Saturn planets which scale VERY strongly. Cut the ends of your deck (King 2s Ace 3s) try to have +1 5-10 than the rest of your cards, and use tarot buffs on them as well. Straights benefit more than any other deck build from cutting down deck size, so focus that as well. Usually you will only need to play one straight to clear an ante. Without fixing your deck properly, eventually you will fail to discard into a straight and it will cost you the run. Shortcut is also the best joker if you can find it.
Reduce the number of different values in the deck. It’s easiest to start by remove aces, Kings, 2s, and 3s. Then start to make it even more narrow. You also want to have a slightly higher frequency of cards near the middle of your deck. For instance maybe you want to use Death to turn some face cards into 6s, 7s, and 8s. In general you want to have fewer cards in the deck. Aim for the high 30s or low 40s. Also, try to get steel or gold blue seal cards that are towards the middle of your deck range.
Define a specific straight(ex:A K Q J 10) , remove all other cards and add as much as you choose
I would not recommend going for the high straight, the face down face cards boss ruins you and an ace can only be used in two straights, a king can only be used in three straights 10-6 is usually what I shoot for, all of those numbers can be used in 5 different straights
It was just an example ( superposition +photograph team)
OP was asking for advice, I was just giving some
Are you saying you can't wrap straights around Aces? I have built a K-4 before, and I don't recall having four fingers either. I could be mistaken, but maybe you could test it for yourself to be sure. I agree that the face-down boss alone would make it worth removing face cards though.
Straights do not wrap around, so you were either not playing straights or had four fingers playing A-2-3-4
Hey, I believe you. I thought I specifically tested it but sometimes I forget what jokers I'm running with, especially if I continue a run days later
Yeah unfortunately there is no way to wrap straights
I find it's better to use jokers to make straights easier than tarot cards to fiddle the deck. [[Shortcut]] and/or [[Four fingers]] are the only time I'm even attempting a straight build really. That or lots of discards and burn away lots of low ranking cards to make the chances of linked cards easier.
One thing I didnt understand about shortcut is that you can make a straight with 2 4 6 8 10
[Shortcut](https://balatro.wiki/imported/shortcut.png) *Joker* * Version: 1.0.0 * Cost: $5 * Rarity: Uncommon * Effect: Allows Straights to be made with gaps of 1 rank * Notes: (ex. 2 3 5 7 8) [Four Fingers](https://balatro.wiki/imported/five_fingers.png) *Joker* * Version: 1.0.0 * Cost: $6 * Rarity: Uncommon * Effect: All Flushes and Straights can be made with 4 cards *Data pulled from http://balatro.wiki. Want it updated? Help me get access or suggest another data source.*
i usually pick one of the ace straights, and cut everything else. If i get a cool 2-5 i’ll build around ace-low, cut everything else and hunt for hack. if i find a wicked face card ill fish for ace-high and cut everything else. I tend to aim for about 6 each of the 5 cards i want because i like a small(er) deck but as long as you’re adding evenly, you could have a bit more of each card.
I usually go for A-10 (remove 5-2 before 7,8,9), buy celestial for saturn and build econ for more removal and deck refining. Because saturn has excellent scaling, just focus on getting money, xMult or more scaling. Runner and shortcut are easy picks for me. Always keep a Strength or Death if possible in case of bad hand. Also open card pack and spectral pack for blue seals. Steel cards and glass cards also help but dont hesitate to discard them if you havent found your straight yet. GLHF!
I mostly just try to put the numbers in order.
One thing that is super helpful is extra hand size. You can hold more useful cards when discarding, and more blue seals. It’s not always achievable, but the Jokers and Vouchers that give it work great with straights. Also why Painted deck likes straights. More hand size = easier hand, and Painted likes more non-Joker power, which Saturns provide en masse. Also again, blue seals.
Absolutely. That common joker with +1 hand size is better than I previously thought.
Start with a polo, 9” inseam shorts, sunglasses and a can of Zyn. Put a voice box that when you pull a string he says “How the hell are ya?” Oh, you mean the poker hand? No idea.
when I was going for joker less I went for the straight strategy I aimed to remove any low tier cards (I picked 7 and below just so I had 9 and 8 to flex my straight up and down ) I also didn't want to affect the ratio of available high cards Hand size is very important for straights because at most you'll always be holding 4 cards waiting for the fifth, and as always more discards is always better
I trim extremes. Ideally you want the card you have the most of to be the center card. Even if you are doing A-10 you want to have more queens than aces and then leave the 9s etc. generally speaking I center based on jokers or cool cards out of standard packs.
deaths, [[Ride the Bus]], shortcuts and/or 4fingers
[Ride the Bus](https://balatro.wiki/imported/ride_the_bus.png) *Joker* * Version: 1.0.0 * Cost: $5 * Rarity: Common * Effect: +1 Mult per consecutive hand played without a scoring face card * Notes: Stacks *Data pulled from http://balatro.wiki. Want it updated? Help me get access or suggest another data source.*
Remove as many cards from your deck as possible. If your deck is thin enough you can see all of your card by discarding so you can guarantee whatever straight you want that you can build from your cards.
I usually pick low or high depending on what Jokers I have. So like if I got Fibonacci, I'm going A,2,3,4,5. In both cases I try to get rid of the middle cards. Whether you're building high or low, you won't need 6,7,8, or 9.
more “middle cards”, try to remove the A-J and 2-4, and make every card the same suit if possible
Aim for 10-6 straights. Cut Aces and twos. Then Kings, 3s Queens, 4s, Jacks, and 5s. You can even add cards ranked 6-10 to increase your chances of not dead drawing, but cutting the ends is definitely the best way. Getting rid of face cards protects against any bosses that debuff face cards. Unless you have a reroll voucher, that is a huge risk to build straights containing face cards but sometimes the game pushes you into it so 🤷 So Death, Hanged Man, and Strength are the Tarot cards you are looking for.
Just stop being gay!