Is a higher score always a better survival decision?
Reproducible Balatro calculation from the validated Rust solver.
With Joker and holographic The Duo, the pair scores 896 chips and the five-heart flush scores 1,530. Both already clear the 600 target. Under the current objective they have equal clearing value. The solver does not claim the lower-score pair is strategically superior; future blinds and economy are outside the objective.
Exact inputs
{
"contract_version": "balatro-web-v1",
"state": {
"id": "pair-flush-tie",
"hand": [
"AH",
"KH",
"QH",
"JH",
"9H",
"9S",
"4C",
"2D"
],
"deck": [
"TH",
"9D",
"AS",
"KC"
],
"hands_left": 1,
"discards_left": 1,
"chips_needed": 600,
"jokers": [
{
"id": "joker",
"edition": "none"
},
{
"id": "the_duo",
"edition": "holographic"
}
],
"levels": {}
},
"explain_actions": [
{
"kind": "play",
"cards": [
"9S",
"9H"
]
},
{
"kind": "play",
"cards": [
"AH",
"KH",
"QH",
"JH",
"9H"
]
}
]
}Computed result
Optimal model value 1. 259 actions share that value; this page does not claim a unique recommendation.
play 9S 9H
Action value 1. Weighted branch sum 1; probability mass 1; residual 0; tolerance 1e-10.
| Draw or terminal outcome | P(draw) | Conditional value | Weighted contribution |
|---|---|---|---|
| target_cleared | 1 | 1 | 1 |
play 9H JH QH KH AH
Action value 1. Weighted branch sum 1; probability mass 1; residual 0; tolerance 1e-10.
| Draw or terminal outcome | P(draw) | Conditional value | Weighted contribution |
|---|---|---|---|
| target_cleared | 1 | 1 | 1 |
Engine 0.1.0; rules balatro-001a-rules-v0.1; interface balatro-web-v1; status completed. Snapshot originated on aarch64-apple-darwin and is regenerated after validated engine releases.
Machine-readable request and native response · Load the state · Permanent example page
Scope and trust
Supported model: 20 validated Jokers, 150 catalog names; exact analysis accepts 1–8 hand cards, 0–12 draw cards, 1–2 hands and 0–2 discards. Uniform replacement draws and optimal continuation are assumed. Unsupported boss, consumable, shop, history and scaling effects are rejected. No standalone sampled full-deck advice. Card order is optimized; Joker slot order is preserved.
Mathematical action values are conditional on the stated game model, not estimates of real-game success. Equal values are ties. Incomplete searches provide no completed recommendation. This independent tool is not affiliated with the game publisher.