What does Hologram do in Balatro?

Hologram is an Uncommon joker ($7) that permanently gains X0.25 Mult every time a playing card is added to your deck. It starts at X1 and has no ceiling.

Does removing cards reduce Hologram's multiplier?

No. Destroying or selling cards from your deck does not lower Hologram's accumulated Mult. Once earned, the multiplier stays.

It is one of the strongest growth jokers in the game. It needs a steady stream of cards entering your deck, but once the pipeline runs, its X Mult climbs fast with no cap.

What jokers combo with Hologram?

Marble Joker adds a Stone card every Blind, giving a free X0.25 each time. Certificate adds a sealed card every round. Perkeo copies consumable cards that can add more cards to your deck.

Does Hologram work with Erosion?

They fight each other. Erosion wants a smaller deck for more flat Mult, Hologram wants a bigger deck for more X Mult. Do not run both.

Hologram Joker: Balatro's Deck-Expansion Snowball

Hologram: permanent X0.25 Mult every time a card enters your deck. No cap.

Hologram does nothing at X1. It just sits there until you start stuffing cards into your deck. Every card added pushes it up by X0.25: shop purchases, Standard Pack pulls, Spectral-created cards, anything. Four cards in and you are at X2. Sixteen cards, X5. No ceiling.

It does not care what the cards are. Stone cards, random suits, sealed cards, all count. The only question is supply: how many cards can you reliably add each round?

Stats

Field	Value
Rarity	Uncommon
Cost	$7
Effect	Gains X0.25 Mult per card added to deck
Starting Mult	X1 (does nothing until first card added)
Category	xMult growth

How to feed it

The core question with Hologram is where your cards come from.

Shop purchases. Buying a card from the shop counts. Early game this is the simplest source, but it costs money you may need for jokers.

Standard Packs. Opening a Standard Pack and choosing a card adds it to your deck. Each pack is one trigger, sometimes two if you pick multiple.

Spectral cards. Several Spectrals create cards or duplicate existing ones. Familiar, Ectoplasm, and Ankh all add to your deck count.

Your deck will get fat. That is fine. High Card and Pair still work in 60+ card decks. Flush and Straight get harder to assemble as the deck grows, so lean toward simpler hand types.

One important detail: destroying cards afterward does not reduce Hologram's multiplier. Add a card, collect the X0.25, then trim the junk later. Both sides of the deal work in your favor.

Best combos

Marble Joker feeds Hologram every Blind for free. Certificate adds a sealed card each round.

Marble Joker. Every time you select a Blind, a Stone card enters your deck. That is a free X0.25 per Blind, three per Ante if you play all three. Medusa and Monolith challenge decks start with Marble Joker built in.

Certificate. Each round starts with a random sealed card added to your hand. That card enters the deck, triggering Hologram once per round like clockwork.

Perkeo copies consumables that add cards. One copy can trigger Hologram multiple times.

Perkeo. Copies a random consumable when you leave the shop. If it hits a Spectral that creates cards, one copy can trigger Hologram multiple times in a single round.

DNA copies a card into your deck every round. Magic Trick lets you buy cards from the shop.

DNA. If your first hand of the round is a single card, DNA copies it permanently into the deck. That is one Hologram trigger per round for free, as long as you open with a solo play. Pairs well with small hand types like High Card.

Magic Trick (voucher). Unlocks buying playing cards from the shop. Normally the shop only sells jokers and consumables. With Magic Trick active, every shop visit becomes a potential Hologram trigger, and you get to pick exactly which card enters your deck.

Key Synergy

Marble Joker: free Stone card every Blind. Hologram grows, Stone cards still score Chips.

Combo

Certificate: sealed card every round. Steady fuel with no money cost.

Combo

DNA: copy a card into your deck every round. Consistent fuel if you open with a single card.

What fights it

Erosion and Hologram pull in opposite directions. One shrinks the deck, the other grows it.

Erosion. Erosion gives +4 flat Mult per card below 52 in your deck. Hologram gives X Mult per card added. One wants the deck small, the other wants it big. Pick a lane.

Red Card. Red Card gains +3 Mult every time you skip a Booster Pack. Hologram grows by opening packs and adding cards. You either open the pack or skip it, not both.

When to avoid

Fragile challenge deck. Nearly every way to add cards is banned. Hologram stays at X1 the entire run.

Pure Straight builds. Random cards dilute the deck and make Straights harder to hit. Hologram wants Pair, High Card, or Flush builds that can handle a bigger deck.

When to buy

Situation	Call
Early run, Marble Joker already owned	Buy on sight. Free growth every Blind.
Standard Packs available, Ante 1-3	Buy. Plenty of time to snowball.
Late run, no card-adding sources	Skip. It will stay near X1.
Running Erosion or a slim-deck strategy	Skip. They cancel each other out.

FAQ

Does selling Hologram reset its multiplier?

Yes. All accumulated X Mult is lost when you sell it. Do not sell a Hologram that has been growing.

Do Stone cards from Marble Joker count?

Yes. Any card that enters the deck triggers Hologram, including Stone cards from Marble Joker and sealed cards from Certificate.

How many cards to reach X5?

Sixteen cards added to the deck move Hologram from X1 to X5. With Marble Joker feeding it, that takes roughly five to six Antes.