The Balatro Secret: How To Discard 5 Jacks And Unlock The Game-Breaking 'Hit The Road' Joker

The cryptic challenge of discarding five Jacks at the same time is one of Balatro's most notoriously difficult and sought-after unlock requirements. As of the current date in December 2025, this specific feat is the only way to add the powerful Rare Joker, Hit the Road, to your collection, a card essential for high-score runs and completing your game compendium. This guide breaks down the two most effective, up-to-date strategies to achieve this seemingly impossible deck manipulation, turning a one-in-a-million poker hand into a calculated unlock.

The core difficulty lies in the fact that a standard 52-card deck contains only four Jacks, meaning you must somehow introduce a fifth Jack into your deck, draw it into your hand, and then discard all five in a single action. This is not a common gameplay loop, forcing players to sacrifice a run's success for the sake of the unlock. Understanding the specific game mechanics—namely the Erratic Deck and various Tarot Cards—is the key to success.

The 'Hit the Road' Joker: Why Discarding Five Jacks is Worth It

The entire effort of engineering a five-Jack discard is dedicated to unlocking the Hit the Road Joker. This Rare Joker is a crucial component for specific build types, particularly those focused on face cards or repeated discarding.

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• Joker Name: Hit the Road
• Rarity: Rare
• Unlock Requirement: Discard 5 Jacks at the same time.
• Effect: Gains X0.5 Mult per discarded Jack this round.
• Notes: This effect resets after each Blind.

While the initial X0.5 Mult may seem modest, the Hit the Road Joker is a potent scaling tool, especially when combined with other card effects or Jokers that encourage high-volume discarding. Its unlock is a mandatory step for players aiming for 100% completion and provides a new avenue for powerful, discard-centric strategies in the roguelike deckbuilder.

Strategy 1: The 'Reset' Method with the Erratic Deck

The fastest, though most repetitive, strategy for the "Discard 5 Jacks" unlock involves exploiting the unique mechanic of the Erratic Deck. This method bypasses the need for extensive card manipulation during a run, relying instead on the luck of the initial deck generation.

The Erratic Deck's Advantage

The Erratic Deck is unlocked by winning a run on the Purple Stake difficulty. Its special ability is that it completely randomizes the ranks and suits of the 52 cards at the start of the run.

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• Randomized Ranks: This randomization means your deck might contain 10 Aces, 17 Kings, or, critically for this challenge, more than four Jacks.
• The Strategy: Start a new run with the Erratic Deck. Immediately check your starting hand and the cards available for the first Blind. If you do not have at least five Jacks in your deck—or a clear path to get them quickly—simply abandon the run and restart.
• The Payoff: Players have reported starting runs with 9 or more Jacks in the randomized deck. If you are fortunate enough to draw five Jacks in your starting hand (or draw into them after your first discard), you can immediately discard the entire group and secure the unlock.

This strategy is purely a numbers game. You are trading time spent in a run for time spent resetting the game, making it the preferred method for dedicated unlock hunters.

Strategy 2: The 'Reliable' Method with Card Duplication

If you prefer to earn the unlock during a successful run rather than relying on the random chance of the Erratic Deck, you must focus on card duplication using consumables. This method is slower but more deliberate and reliable.

Key Consumables and Cards

The standard deck has four Jacks (one of each suit). To get a fifth Jack, you must duplicate one of the existing Jacks in your deck. The most effective tools for this are Tarot Cards and Spectral Cards.

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• Death Tarot Card: This is the most critical tool. The Death Tarot card allows you to duplicate a card in your hand. If you hold a Jack in your hand, using the Death card on it will create a copy of that Jack, increasing your total number of Jacks to five. [cite: 6 from step 1]
• The Fool Tarot Card: While not a direct duplication tool, The Fool allows you to create a copy of the last Tarot Card used. If you find a Death card, The Fool can effectively give you a second chance at duplication.
• Hanged Man Tarot Card: This card removes cards from your deck. While counter-intuitive, removing low-value cards (like 2s, 3s, and 4s) increases the probability of drawing the five Jacks you need into your hand.
• Spectral Cards: Be on the lookout for Spectral Cards like the Ectoplasm, which can add a random duplicate of a card to your deck, or the Sigil, which can transform cards into a specific rank, potentially turning a King or Queen into a Jack.

The Execution Steps

1. Acquire a Death Card: This is the primary bottleneck. Look for Tarot Card Packs in the shop. Jokers like Cartomancer (creates a random Tarot Card each Blind) can help generate consumables.
2. Duplicate a Jack: Play hands until you draw a Jack into your hand. Use the Death Tarot Card on it to create the fifth Jack.
3. Draw the Five Jacks: Now that you have five Jacks in your deck, you must draw them all into your hand. Use your available discards strategically, removing cards that are not Jacks.
4. The Unlock: Once all five Jacks are in your hand, select them all and press the "Discard" button. The unlock for the Hit the Road Joker will immediately trigger.

Topical Authority Entities & LSI Keywords for the Unlock

Mastering this unlock requires knowledge of several key entities within the Balatro ecosystem. Focusing your run around acquiring these cards and consumables will dramatically increase your chances.

Key Entities for 'Discard 5 Jacks'

• Decks: Erratic Deck (for the reset strategy), Joker Deck (more Joker slots to find card-manipulating Jokers).
• Jokers: Hit the Road (The unlock reward), Cartomancer (generates Tarot Cards), Trading Card (can generate money for buying more packs).
• Tarot Cards: Death (Duplicates a card), The Fool (Duplicates the last Tarot card), Hanged Man (removes unwanted cards).
• Vouchers: Observed (gives a free Tarot Card), Telescope (increases the chance of finding Planet Cards, but still useful for general progression). [cite: 4 from step 1]
• Goal: Five of a Kind (The hand you are trying to create before discarding).

By understanding the synergy between the Erratic Deck's randomization and the targeted duplication power of the Death Tarot Card, you can transform the "Discard 5 Jacks" challenge from a frustrating grind into a rewarding and achievable goal, finally adding the coveted Hit the Road Joker to your Balatro arsenal.