How Balatro scoring works
Understand Chips, +Mult and ×Mult with a worked hand.
Start with the hand level
A level 1 Pair starts at 10 Chips and 2 Mult. Two unenhanced, non-debuffed 8s contribute 16 Chips, giving 26 Chips × 2 Mult = 52 before any Joker effects.
Played and scoring are different
With an ordinary Pair, the two matching cards score. An extra kicker can be played without adding its rank to the score. Effects such as Splash can change which cards score.
Follow the triggers
Scoring cards, cards held in hand, and Joker effects can happen at different stages. The calculator on this site starts from values you enter and compares only the ordered effects you add.