9 Lives

Economy Uncommon

Category: Economy
Rarity: Uncommon
Effect: Earn $1 for every 9 in your deck at end of round
How to obtain: Shop purchase or Fool Pack (exact price & unlock conditions TBD)

Card guide

Role and core idea

A persistent economy Joker built around rank 9. It pays at round end based on the number of 9s in the deck, whether or not they were drawn or scored, so copied 9s become reliable shop income.

Mechanics

Each 9 pays $1 at round end; income depends on deck composition, not how many 9s were played that round.
Copied 9s permanently added to the deck also count. Temporary rank changes only matter if they remain through round end.
It provides no Chips or Mult by itself, so other Jokers or upgraded hands must clear score targets.

Recommended poker hands

Pair / Three of a Kind

Copying 9s naturally improves these hands, letting economy building support scoring.

Four / Five of a Kind

The natural endpoint after heavy copying, converting deck investment into a strong base hand.

Any hand

Income does not require playing 9s, so another reliable hand remains viable during setup.

Synergies and interactions

Creating more 9s

Mage

Turns an irrelevant card into a copy of a 9 without increasing total deck size.

Prayer

Raises an 8 into a 9, providing precise rank editing without copying.

COMMAND

Creates two copies of a selected 9, immediately raising round income by $2.

Blade

Deletes irrelevant ranks so the added 9s form scoring hands more consistently.

Economy and purchasing power

Friend

Doubles accumulated money, adding up to $20 in one use.

Money Bowl / Insert Coin

Raise the interest cap so recurring 9 Lives income can keep compounding.

Gilded

A held Gilded card adds $3 at round end, stacking economy in the same phase.

Cash Stamp

Lets a core scoring 9 generate immediate cash as well.

Strategy by stage

Early game

A standard deck usually starts with only four 9s, so base income is modest. Find Mage, Prayer, or COMMAND early to establish growth.

Mid game

Reinvest income into rerolls, packs, and thinning while shifting the main hand toward Pair, Three of a Kind, or larger rank groups.

Late game

Once money is abundant and shops are no longer constrained, reassess its Joker-slot cost. Replace it with scoring power if score becomes the bottleneck.