What is the difference between Jokers, Tarot cards, Planet cards, and Spectral cards in Balatro?

Updated

Jokers are permanent run-defining cards that stay in your collection and drive your scoring synergies, while Tarot, Planet, and Spectral cards are all Consumables — one-use cards that are consumed when played. The Balatro Wiki groups them under separate navigation entries (Jokers, Consumables, Vouchers, Booster Packs), so the fastest way to tell them apart is to ask: does it persist in my run, or is it spent on use?

Jokers: the persistent synergy layer

Jokers are the core of a Balatro run. They sit in your Joker slots and modify chips, mult, or other rules for as long as they remain equipped. The Wiki splits them by rarity:

  • Common
  • Uncommon
  • Rare
  • Legendary

Because they persist, Jokers are what you build around — a run's identity usually comes from which Jokers you found and how they interact. If you are looking up "what does this card do to my score," you almost always want the Jokers section.

Consumables: Tarot, Planet, and Spectral cards

Tarot, Planet, and Spectral cards share one trait: they are consumed on use. They are not permanent fixtures in your Joker slots. The Wiki lists all three under Consumables, each with its own sub-page:

Category What it is for (per Wiki structure)
Tarot cards Consumable cards listed under Consumables
Planet cards Consumable cards listed under Consumables
Spectral cards Consumable cards listed under Consumables

The Wiki does not describe each card's individual effect on the main page — it only organizes them as separate browsable categories. To compare specific cards, open each sub-page rather than the Consumables landing page.

Vouchers, Booster Packs, and other shop-side items

Not everything in the shop is a Joker or a Consumable. The Wiki keeps separate entries for:

  • Vouchers
  • Booster Packs
  • Card modifiers
  • Tags
  • Blinds & Antes
  • Stakes
  • Poker hands
  • The Shop
  • Decks
  • Game mechanics
  • Achievements
  • Updates

So if you are trying to identify something you saw in the shop and it is not a Joker, check Vouchers or Booster Packs before assuming it is a Consumable.

How to decide which page to open

Use this quick rule:

  1. Does it stay equipped and affect scoring every hand? → Jokers (check rarity sub-page).
  2. Is it used up when activated? → Consumables (then pick Tarot, Planet, or Spectral).
  3. Did it come from a shop purchase that is not a card you play? → Vouchers or Booster Packs.
  4. Is it a rule, stake, blind, or hand-type question? → Game mechanics, Stakes, Blinds & Antes, or Poker hands.

Practical notes from the Wiki

  • The Wiki is community-maintained and, as of 29 September 2026, is up to date with version 1.0.1o-FULL (Friends of Jimbo 4).
  • It currently holds 515 articles, 999 files, and 29,355 edits.
  • Content is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 3.0.
  • The main navigation also links to the official Balatro website, official Discord, Bluesky, X (Twitter), r/balatro, Balatro speedrunning, and a Modded Balatro wiki — useful if you want community discussion beyond the Wiki itself.

If your goal is simply to know which category a card belongs to before reading its effect, the Jokers-vs-Consumables split above covers the four types in your question. For anything shop-related that is neither, start with Vouchers and Booster Packs.