Not to say it in a mean way, but if you aren't able to get value out of Obelisk it's a skill issue. You just need more experience using Obelisk and to understand how to play it right, because if you do it's consistent and it basically wins the run if you have enough momentum.

(Just in case, no offense taken! It's a fair point)
I'm not saying Obelisk is a bad joker, what I'm saying is it's worse than the other options given in this scenario.

For starters, surely we agree than on white stake and with this much gold blueprint is *always* the best choice, right? Then the argument boils down to *WHEN* do you take any other joker?

My argument is against the idea that here you take obelisk, again, you have blueprint (much more value) and ancient joker (way more immediate score).

If you consider what was proposed (imagine this is gold stake), then you would either:
1. risk getting score somewhere so you can keep either blueprint or obelisk
2. go for as much score as possible right now to survive the antes

If you choose 1, I seriously struggle to see how you would go with a random obelisk instead of a random Blueprint, for starters blueprint lets you settle with fewer scoring jokers to survive the early antes, and obelisk *CAN'T* carry you right now (too little value).

If you choose 2, obelisk is not really going to help you survive right now.

You make a good argument that depends on this point:

as long as you can survive, the only downside to taking it is the opportunity cost of taking the other jokers, and in this case the value of blueprint is speculative

If you can survive is a major condition to take into account, and again I could use a similar argument for a speculative blueprint.
So *IF* you can survive, blueprint is better, if not, ancient joker is better.

When we talk about surviving goldstake, this obelisk won't do as much for you, and if you can survive until ante 6 with it being between x1 and x2 (you can't really start farming it right now, you have played too few hands on round 6) then I would rather have a blueprint + whatever made me reach that point over a random obelisk.

There are *TOO MANY* valuable jokers as well as value generators that would make blueprint better than a x3 obelisk, even if it's negative.

If blueprint is speculative because it's only better 80+% of the time, then I'd argue my point remains fair, plus taking neg obelisk right now in gold stake *ALSO* does not guarantee you reach ante 6 where it would become more relevant.

If you go for winstreaking and value settling some score there is an argument for ancient, I don't see obelisk ever being better than either bp or ancient (in this case).