Ancient Joker Balatro was a creature of ancient Roman mythology, one in which gods and goddesses reigned in the heavens above while mortals visited the earth. Their presence was at once terrifying and enchanting. The Balatro was routinely depicted as some form of ugly clown or buffoon, but his nature was far removed from the entertainment purposes his appearance might suggest. The grim and hazardous Balatro would best embody the chaotic and unpredictable forces simmering beneath what appeared to be the calm veneer of Roman society.
Table of Contents
Origins and Etymology of Ancient Joker Balatro
The exact origins of the Balatro have become slightly clouded, but still, it is held that the term is actually derived from the Latin word “balatro,” meaning “a fool” or “a buffoon.” The association with foolishness perhaps comes off as ironic, considering the Balatro’s oftentimes sinister role in Roman mythology.
All Ancient Joker Balatro
| Joker Image | Joker Name | Ability | Requirement to Unlock | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | Joker | +4 Mult. | Always available! | |
| Joker | ||||
 | Greedy Joker | Played cards with Diamond suit give +3 Mult when scored. | Always available! | |
| Greedy Joker | ||||
 | Lusty Joker | Played cards with Heart suit give +3 Mult when scored. | Always available! | |
| Lusty Joker | ||||
 | Wrathful Joker | Played cards with Spade suit give +3 Mult when scored. | Always available! | |
| Wrathful Joker | ||||
 | Gluttonous Joker | Played cards with Club suit give +3 Mult when scored. | Always available! | |
| Gluttonous Joker | ||||
 | Jolly Joker | +8 Mult if played hand contains a Pair. | Always available! | |
| Jolly Joker | ||||
 | Zany Joker | +12 Mult if played hand contains a Three of a Kind. | Always available! | |
| Zany Joker | ||||
 | Mad Joker | +20 Mult if played hand contains a Four of a Kind. | Always available! | |
| Mad Joker | ||||
 | Crazy Joker | +12 Mult if played hand contains a Straight. | Always available! | |
| Crazy Joker | ||||
 | Droll Joker | +10 Mult if played hand contains a Flush. | Always available! | |
| Droll Joker | ||||
 | Sly Joker | +50 Chips if played hand contains a Pair. | Always available! | |
| Sly Joker | ||||
 | Wily Joker | +100 Chips if played hand contains a Three of a Kind. | Always available! | |
| Wily Joker | ||||
 | Clever Joker | +150 Chips if played hand contains a Four of a Kind. | Always available! | |
| Clever Joker | ||||
 | Devious Joker | +100 Chips if played hand contains a Straight. | Always available! | |
| Devious Joker | ||||
 | Crafty Joker | +80 Chips if played hand contains a Flush. | Always available! | |
| Devious Joker | ||||
 | Half Joker | +20 Mult if played hand contains 3 or fewer cards. | Always available! | |
| Half Joker | ||||
 | Joker Stencil | X1 Mult for each empty ”Joker” slot (Joker Stencil included). | Always available! | |
| Joker Stencil | ||||
 | Four Fingers | All Flushes and Straights can be made with 4 cards. | Always available! | |
| Four Fingers | ||||
 | Mime | Retrigger all card held in hand abilities. | Always available! | |
| Mime | ||||
 | Credit Card | Go up to -$20 in debt. | Always available! | |
| Credit Card | ||||
 | Ceremonial Dagger | When Blind is selected, destroy Joker to the right and permanently add double its sell value to this Mult. | Always available! | |
| Ceremonial Dagger | ||||
 | Banner | +30 Chips for each remaining discard. | Always available! | |
| Banner | ||||
 | Mystic Summit | +15 Mult when 0 discards remaining. | Always available! | |
| Mystic Summit | ||||
 | Marble Joker | Adds one Stone card to the deck when Blind is selected. | Always available! | |
| Marble Joker | ||||
 | Loyalty Card | X4 Mult every 6 hands played. | Always available! | |
| Loyalty Card | ||||
 | 8 Ball | Create a Planet card if played hand contains 2 or more 8s. | Always available! | |
| 8 Ball | ||||
 | Misprint | +Mult between 0 and 23. | Always available! | |
| Misprint | ||||
 | Dusk | Retrigger all played cards in final hand of round. | Always available! | |
| Dusk | ||||
 | Raised Fist | Adds double the rank of lowest card held in hand to Mult. | Always available! | |
| Raised Fist | ||||
 | Chaos the Clown | 1 free Reroll per shop. | Always available! | |
| Chaos the Clown | ||||
 | Fibonacci | Each played Ace, 2, 3, 5, or 8 gives +8 Mult when scored. | Always available! | |
| Fibonacci | ||||
 | Steel Joker | This Joker gains X0.2 Mult for each Steel Card in your full deck. | Always available! | |
| Joker | ||||
 | Scary Face | Played face cards give +30 Chips when scored. | Always available! | |
| Scary Face | ||||
 | Abstract Joker | +3 Mult for each Joker card. | Always available! | |
| Abstract Joker | ||||
 | Delayed Gratification | Earn $2 per discard if no discards are used by end of the round. | Always available! | |
| Delayed Gratification | ||||
 | Hack | Retrigger each played 2, 3, 4, 5. | Always available! | |
| Hack | ||||
 | Pareidolia | All cards are considered face cards. | Always available! | |
| Pareidolia | ||||
 | Gros Michel | +15 Mult 1 in 6 chance this card is destroyed at end of round. | Always available! | |
| Gros Michel | ||||
 | Even Steven | Played cards with even rank give +4 Mult when scored. | Always available! | |
| Even Steven | ||||
 | Odd Todd | Played cards with odd rank give +31 Chips when scored. | Always available! | |
| Odd Todd | ||||
 | Scholar | Played Aces give +20 Chips and +4 Mult when scored. | Always available! | |
| Scholar | ||||
 | Business Card | Played face cards have a 1 in 2 chance to give $2 when scored. | Always available! | |
| Business Card | ||||
 | Supernova | Adds the number of times poker hand has been played to Mult. | Always available! | |
| Supernova | ||||
 | Ride the Bus | +1 Mult per consecutive hand played without a scoring face card. | Always available! | |
| Ride the Bus | ||||
 | Space Joker | 1 in 4 chance to upgrade level of played poker hand. | Always available! | |
| Space Joker | ||||
 | Egg | Gains $3 of sell value at end of round. | Always available! | |
| Egg | ||||
 | Burglar | When Blind is selected, gain +3 Hands and lose all discards. | Always available! | |
| Burglar | ||||
 | Blackboard | X3 Mult if all cards held in hand are Spades or Clubs | Always available! | |
| Blackboard | ||||
 | Runner | Gains +15 Chips if played hand contains a Straight. | Always available! | |
| Runner | ||||
 | Ice Cream | +100 Chips -5 Chips for every hand played. | Always available! | |
| Ice Cream | ||||
 | DNA | If first hand of round has only 1 card, add a permanent copy to deck and draw it to hand. | Always available! | |
| DNA | ||||
 | Splash | Every played card counts in scoring. | Always available! | |
| Splash | ||||
 | Blue Joker | +2 Chips for each remaining card in deck. | Always available! | |
| Blue Joker | ||||
 | Sixth Sense | If first hand of round is a single 6, destroy it and create a Spectral card. | Always available! | |
| Sixth Sense | ||||
 | Constellation | Gains X0.1 Mult per Planet card used. | Always available! | |
| Constellation | ||||
 | Hiker | Every played card permanently gains +5 Chips when scored. | Always available! | |
| Hiker | ||||
 | Faceless Joker | Earn $5 if 3 or more face cards are discarded at the same time. | Always available! | |
| Faceless Joker | ||||
 | Green Joker | +1 Mult per hand played -1 Mult per discard. | Always available! | |
| Green Joker | ||||
 | Superposition | Create a Tarot card if poker hand contains an Ace and a Straight. | Always available! | |
| Superposition | ||||
 | To Do List | Earn $5 if poker hand is a Two Pair, poker hand changes at end of round. | Always available! | |
| To Do List | ||||
 | Cavendish | X3 Mult 1 in 1000 chance this card is destroyed at end of round. | Only has a chance to appear after Gros Michel destroys itself. | |
| Cavendish | ||||
 | Card Sharp | X3 Mult if played poker hand has already been played this round. | Always available! | |
| Card Sharp | ||||
 | Red Card | Gains +3 Mult when any Boost Pack is skipped. | Always available! | |
| Red Card | ||||
 | Madness | When Small Blind or Big Blind is selected, gain X0.5 Mult and destroy a random Joker. | Always available! | |
| Madness | ||||
 | Square Joker | Gains +4 Chip if played hand has exactly 4 cards. | Always available! | |
| Square Joker | ||||
 | Séance | If poker hand is a Straight Flush, create a random Spectral card. | Always available! | |
| Séance | ||||
 | Riff-Raff | When Blind is selected, create 2 Common Jokers. | Always available! | |
| Riff-Raff | ||||
 | Vampire | Gains X0.2 Mult per Enhanced card played, removes card Enhancement. | Always available! | |
| Vampire | ||||
 | Shortcut | Allows Straights to be made with gaps of 1 rank. | Always available! | |
| Shortcut | ||||
 | Hologram | Gains X0.25 Mult per playing card added to your deck. | Always available! | |
| Hologram | ||||
 | Vagabond | Create a Tarot card in hand is played with $4 or less. | Always available! | |
| Vagabond | ||||
 | Baron | Each King held in hand gives X1.5 Mult. | Always available! | |
| Baron | ||||
 | Cloud 9 | Earn $1 for each 9 in your full deck at end of round. | Always available! | |
| Cloud 9 | ||||
 | Rocket | Earn $1 at end of round. Gains $2 when Boss Blind is defeated. | Always available! | |
| Rocket | ||||
 | Obelisk | X0.2 Mult per consecutive hand played without playing your most played poker hand. | Always available! | |
| Obelisk | ||||
 | Midas Mask | All face cards become Gold cards when played. | Always available! | |
| Midas Mask | ||||
 | Luchador | Sell this card to disable the current Boss Blind. | Always available! | |
| Luchador | ||||
 | Photograph | First played face card give X2 Mult when scored. | Always available! | |
| Photograph | ||||
 | Gift Card | Add $1 of sell value to every Joker and Consumable card at end round. | Always available! | |
| Gift Card | ||||
 | Turtle Bean | +5 hand size, reduces by 1 every round. | Always available! | |
| Turtle Bean | ||||
 | Erosion | +4 Mult for each card below 52 in your full deck. | Always available! | |
| Erosion | ||||
 | Reserved Parking | Each face card held in hand has a 1 in 2 chance to give $1. | Always available! | |
| Reserved Parking | ||||
 | Mail-In Rebate | Earn $3 for each discarded Ace, rank changes every round. | Always available! | |
| Mail-In Rebate | ||||
 | To the Moon | Earn an extra $1 of interest for every $5 you have at end of round. | Always available! | |
| To the Moon | ||||
 | Hallucination | 1 in 2 chance to create a Tarot card when any Booster Pack is opened. | Always available! | |
| Hallucination | ||||
 | Fortune Teller | +1 Mult per Tarot card used this run. | Always available! | |
| Fortune Teller | ||||
 | Juggler | +1 hand size. | Always available! | |
| Juggler | ||||
 | Drunkard | +1 discard. | Always available! | |
| Drunkard | ||||
 | Stone Joker | This Joker gains +25 Chips for each Stone Card in your full deck. | Always available! | |
| Stone Joker | ||||
 | Golden Joker | Earn $4 at end of round. | Always available! | |
| Golden Joker | ||||
 | Lucky Cat | Gains X0.25 Mult each time a Lucky card successfully triggers. | Always available! | |
| Lucky Cat | ||||
 | Baseball Card | Uncommon Jokers each give X1.5 Mult. | Always available! | |
| Baseball Card | ||||
 | Bull | +2 Chips for each dollar you have. | Always available! | |
| Bull | ||||
 | Diet Cola | See this card to create a free Double Tag. | Always available! | |
| Diet Cola | ||||
 | Trading Card | If first discard of round has only 1 card, destroy it and earn $3. | Always available! | |
| Trading Card | ||||
 | Flash Card | +2 Mult per reroll in the shop. | Always available! | |
| Flash Card | ||||
 | Popcorn | +20 Mult -4 Mult per round played. | Always available! | |
| Popcorn | ||||
 | Spare Trousers | Gains +2 Mult if played hand contains a Two Pair. | Always available! | |
| Spare Trousers | ||||
 | Ancient Joker | Each played card with Spade suit gives X1.5 Mult when scored, suit changes at end of round. | Always available! | |
| Ancient Joker | ||||
 | Ramen | X2 Mult, loses X0.01 Mult per card discared. | Always available! | |
| Ramen | ||||
 | Walkie Talkie | Each played 10 or 4 gives +10 Chips and +4 Mult when scored. | Always available! | |
| Walkier Talkie | ||||
 | Seltzer | Retrigger all cards played for the next 10 hands. | Always available! | |
| Seltzer | ||||
 | Castle | This Joker gains +3 Chips per discarded Spade card, suit changes every round. | Always available! | |
| Castle | ||||
 | Smiley Face | Played face cards give +5 Mult when scored. | Always available! | |
| Smiley Face | ||||
 | Campfire | This Joker gains X0.5 Mult for each card sold, resets when Boss Blind is defeated. | Always available! | |
| Campfire | ||||
 | Golden Ticket | Played Gold cards earn $4 when scored. | Play a 5 card hand that contains only Gold cards. | |
| Golden Ticket | ||||
 | Mr. Bones | Prevents Death if chips scored are at least 25% of required chips. Self Destructs. | Lose 5 runs. | |
| Mr. Bones | ||||
 | Acrobat | X3 Mult on final hand of round. | Play 200 hands. | |
| Acrobat | ||||
 | Sock and Buskin | Retrigger all played face cards. | Play 300 face cards. | |
| Play 300 face cards. | ||||
 | Swashbuckler | Adds the sell value of all other owned Jokers to Mult. | Sell 20 Joker cards. | |
| Swashbuckler | ||||
 | Troubadour | +2 hand size, -1 hands per round. | Win 5 consecutive rounds by playing only 1 hand. | |
| Troubadour | ||||
 | Certificate | When round begins add a random playing card with a random seal to your hand. | Have a Gold playing card with a Gold Seal. | |
| Certificate | ||||
 | Smeared Joker | Hearts and Diamonds count as the same suit, Spades and Clubs count as the same suits. | Have at least 3 Wild Card in your deck. | |
| Smeared Joker | ||||
 | Throwback | X0.025 Mult for each Blind skipped this run. | Continue a saved run from the main menu. | |
| Throwback | ||||
 | Hanging Chad | Retrigger first played card used in scoring 2 additional times. | Beat a Boss blind with a High Card. | |
| Hanging Chad | ||||
 | Rough Gem | Played cards with Diamond suit earn $1 when scored. | Have at least 30 cards with Diamond suit in your deck. | |
| Rough Gem | ||||
 | Bloodstone | 1 in 2 chance for played cards with Heart suit to give X1.5 Mult when scored. | Have at least 30 cards with Heart suit in your deck. | |
| Bloodstone | ||||
 | Arrowhead | Played cards with Spade suit give +50 Chips when scored. | Have at least 30 cards with Spade suit in your deck. | |
| Arrowhead | ||||
 | Onyx Agate | Played cards with Club suit give +7 Mult. | Have at least 30 cards with Club suit in your deck. | |
| Onyx Agate | ||||
 | Glass Joker | Gains X0.75 Mult for every Glass Card that is destroyed. | Have at least 5 Glass Cards in your deck. | |
| Glass Joker | ||||
 | Showman | Joker, Tarot, Planet, and Spectral cards may appear multiple times. | Reach Ante level 4. | |
| Showman | ||||
 | Flower Pot | X3 Mult if played hand contains a Diamond card, Club card, Heart card, and Spade card. | Reach Ante level 8. | |
| Flower Pot | ||||
 | Blueprint | Copies ability of Jokers to the right. | Win a run. | |
| Blueprint | ||||
 | Wee Joker | This Joker gains +8 Chips when each played 2 is scored. | Win a run in 18 or fewer rounds. | |
| Wee Joker | ||||
 | Merry Andy | +3 discards, -1 hand size. | Win a run in 12 or fewer rounds. | |
| Merry Andy | ||||
 | Oops! All 6s | Doubles all listed probabilities. | In one hand, earn at least 10,000 chips. | |
| Oops! all 6s | ||||
 | The Idol | Each played Ace of Spades gives X2 Mult when scored (card changes every round). | In one hand, earn at least 1,000,000 chips. | |
| The Idol | ||||
 | Seeing Double | X2 Mult if played hand has a scoring Club card and a scoring card of any other suit. | Play a hand that contains four of 7 Clubs. | |
| Seeing Double | ||||
 | Matador | Earn $8 if played hand triggers the Boss Blind ability. | Defeat a Boss Blind in 1 hand without using any discards. | |
| Matador | ||||
 | Hit the Road | Gains X0.5 Mult per discarded Jack this round. | Discard 5 Jacks at the same time. | |
| Hit the Road | ||||
 | The Duo | X2 Mult if played hand contains a Pair. | Win a run without playing a Pair. | |
| The Duo | ||||
 | The Trio | X2 Mult if played hand contains a Three of a Kind. | Win a run without playing a Three of a Kind. | |
| The Trio | ||||
 | The Family | X2 Mult if played hand contains a Four of a Kind. | Win a run without playing a Four of a Kind. | |
| The Family | ||||
 | The Order | X2 Mult if played hand contains a Straight. | Win a run without playing a Straight. | |
| The Order | ||||
 | The Tribe | X2 Mult if played hand contains a Flush. | Win a run without playing a Flush. | |
| The Tribe | ||||
 | Stuntman | +250 Chips, -2 hand size. | In one hand, earn at least 100,000,000 chips. | |
| Stuntman | ||||
 | Invisible Joker | After 2 rounds, sell this card to Duplicate a random Joker. | Win a run without ever having more than 4 Jokers. | |
| Invisible Joker | ||||
 | Brainstorm | Copies the ability of leftmost Joker. | Discard a Royal Flush. | |
| Brainstorm | ||||
 | Satellite | Earn $1 at end of round per unique Planet card used this run. | Have $400 or more. | |
| Satellite | ||||
 | Shoot the Moon | +13 Mult for each Queen held in hand. | Play every Heart in your deck in a single round. | |
| Shoot the Moon | ||||
 | Driver’s License | X3 Mult if you have at least 16 Enhanced cards in your full deck. | Enhance 16 cards in your deck. | |
| Driver’s License | ||||
 | Cartomancer | Create a Tarot card when Blind is selected. | Discover every Tarot card. | |
| Cartomancer | ||||
 | Astronomer | All Planet cards and Celestial Packs in shop are free. | Discover every Planet card. | |
| Astronomer | ||||
 | Burnt Joker | Upgrade the level of the first discarded poker hand each round. | Sell a total of 50 cards. | |
| Burnt Joker | ||||
 | Bootstraps | +2 Mult for every $5 you have. | Have at least 2 Polychrome Jokers. | |
| Bootstraps | ||||
 | Canio | Gains X1 Mult when a face card is destroyed. | Found within the Soul Spectral Card. | |
| Canio | ||||
 | Triboulet | Played Kings and Queens each give X2 Mult when scored. | Found within the Soul Spectral Card. | |
| Triboulet | ||||
 | Yorick | X5 Mult only after using 23 discards. | Found within the Soul Spectral Card. | |
| Yorick | ||||
 | Chicot | Disables effect of every Boss Blind. | Found within the Soul Spectral Card. | |
| Chicot | ||||
 | Perkeo | Creates a Negative copy of 1 random consumable card in your possession at the end of the shop. | Found within the Soul Spectral Card. | |
| Perkeo | ||||
The Role of the Ancient Joker Balatro
It was more than just a buffoon. He was representative of the illogical, uncontrollable, and subversive. In a society which laid emphasis on order and security, the Balatro represented the chaotic forces set to turn upside down the status quo into a Roman society.
Top Ancient Joker Balatro
Temporary Tempo Flat Jokers (Ice Cream, Popcorn)
| Joker Image | Joker Name | Rarity | Ability | Requirement to Unlock |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ice Cream | Common | +100 Chips -5 Chips for every hand played. | Always available! |
| Popcorn | Common | +20 Mult -4 Mult per round played. | Always available! |
Economy Jokers (Golden Joker, Egg, Business Card, Delayed Gratification, Riff-Raff, Hallucination, Chaos the Clown, Sixth Sense)
| Joker Image | Joker Name | Rarity | Ability | Requirement to Unlock |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Golden Joker | Common | Earn $4 at end of round. | Always available! |
| Egg | Common | Gains $3 of sell value at end of round. | Always available! |
| Business Card | Common | Played face cards have a 1 in 2 chance to give $2 when scored. | Always available! |
| Delayed Gratification | Common | Earn $2 per discard if no discards are used by end of the round. | Always available! |
| Riff-Raff | Common | When Blind is selected, create 2 Common Jokers. | Always available! |
| Hallucination | Common | 1 in 2 chance to create a Tarot card when any Booster Pack is opened. | Always available! |
| Chaos the Clown | Common | 1 free Reroll per shop. | Always available! |
| Sixth Sense | Common | If first hand of round is a single 6, destroy it and create a Spectral card. | Always available! |
xponential Growth “Per” Jokers (Fortune Teller, Supernova)
| Joker Image | Joker Name | Rarity | Ability | Requirement to Unlock |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fortune Teller | Common | +1 Mult per Tarot card used this run. | Always available! |
| Supernova | Common | Adds the number of times poker hand has been played to Mult. | Always available! |
Scaling Jokers Early On (Ride The Bus, Runner, Green Joker, Square Joker)
| Joker Image | Joker Name | Rarity | Ability | Requirement to Unlock |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ride the Bus | Common | +1 Mult per consecutive hand played without a scoring face card. | Always available! |
| Runner | Common | Gains +10 Chips if played hand contains a Straight. | Always available! |
| Green Joker | Common | +1 Mult per hand played -1 Mult per discard. | Always available! |
| Square Joker | Common | Gains +4 Chip if played hand has exactly 4 cards. | Always available! |
Generically Strong Scoring Enhancers (Greedy/Lusty/Wrathful/Gluttonous Joker, Scary Face, Photograph, Gros Michel)
| Joker Image | Joker Name | Rarity | Ability | Requirement to Unlock |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Greedy Joker | Common | Played cards with Diamond suit give +4 Mult when scored. | Always available! |
| Lusty Joker | Common | Played cards with Heart suit give +4 Mult when scored. | Always available! |
| Wrathful Joker | Common | Played cards with Spade suit give +4 Mult when scored. | Always available! |
| Gluttonous Joker | Common | Played cards with Club suit give +4 Mult when scored. | Always available! |
| Scary Face | Common | Played face cards give +30 Chips when scored. | Always available! |
| Photograph | Common | First played face card give X2 Mult when scored. | Always available! |
| Gros Michel | Common | +15 Mult 1 in 4 chance this card is destroyed at end of round. | Always available! |
The Balatro in Roman Literature
The Balatro thus crops up everywhere in Roman literature, from comedies to satires, with some variation. As one of the characters in the plays of Plautus, he is the one who, through his acumen and knavery, comes out to outmaneuver his more serious fellow characters. But often, his wit takes a sinister turn because, after all, a scheme concocted by a Balatro can turn out to have grave consequences.
The Balatro’s Connection to the Gods
Most of the latter were associated with the gods embodying the chaotic side of life. A good example is that of Traumas the god of time and pastoral care, and while Saturn is a god of time and harvest, he too is supposed to be prone to chaos and is unpredictable. Much the same as Saturn is a god who is somehow unpredictable and sometimes violent in that he consumes his own children, so was Balatro the chameleon-like reflection of the god’s chaotic side.
The Balatro as a Symbol of Social Critique
The Balatro was a mythological figure, as well as the very crucial and potent social critique symbol. More or less a personage who satirized vices and folly of the Roman society, he brought forth some form of social comment—usually humorous, yet relevant.
The Ancient Joker Balatro Legacy
His legacy has been living on for centuries. This ancient clown figure has carried through to the modern and has not only kept himself alive but grown in prominence in today’s popular culture. From chaotic and unpredictable figures in Shakespeare’s King Lear to much of the superhero comics produced today, this character is one of the models upon which the Balatro has influenced and left its mark.
Conclusion
That is what’s fascinating about theAncient Joker Balatro: it’s the figure that best shows the chaotic, unpredictable, sometimes quite dangerous currents flowing beneath Roman veneered society. Thus it came to stand for a kind of critique but was also the harbinger of chaos, through which we perennially are enchanted with the strong effect of mythology and folklore.
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