How to Use Obelisk in Balatro & What It Does

Obelisk is one of many Jokers you can use in Balatro, but this one is very complex and, when used properly in certain situations, can give you a huge return. However, it’s not easy to use. Let’s find out what Obelisk does and how you can benefit from it.

What Does Obelisk Do in Balatro – Joker Effect Explained

Obelisk adds +X0.2 Mult for each consecutive hand that you play if it’s not the hand that you played the most. It starts with X1, so don’t worry. You won’t do stuff like dividing by zero, and Obelisk will never harm your poker hand. But how do you know which hand is your most played poker hand? You don’t, unless you write down what you’ve played and/or manually remember everything.

You are probably reading this article because you’re wondering if Obelisk can be used in some broken way, and the real answer is… not really.

How to Use Obelisk in Balatro

Obelisk indeed has great potential, but if you are keen on maximizing it, you really must get it as your first Joker so that it can build up properly. Also, in the early stages, you want to avoid skipping any blinds, so that you can play many hands and easily pass the rounds with “crap” hands such as:

• Pair
• Two Pairs
• Three of a Kind

…with just an occasional “sprinkle” of a high-value hand to “close” the round.

Then, after a few rounds, when you feel it might be impossible to clear the round with low-tier hands (you really should try to write down how many you’ve played), you should start unleashing the Obelisk. However, you need to be very careful and try your best to dilute the powerful hands as much as possible so that you don’t play them too much. For example, if you’ve played five “two pairs” hands, try to balance between playing straights, flushes, and full houses without playing them five times individually. The sad reality is that you’ll sell Obelisk as soon as you get any other, more reasonable Joker with a multiplier bonus, but take Obelisk for what it is: a potential early-game booster for a few rounds.

If you are in the mood to read more about Balatro, I recommend you to browse our Balatro section where you’ll find stuff such as how does the Misprint Joker work, and how to get a Flush House.