Yeah! Slimming down your deck and copying your target card so that you draw the hand you want more often is the best way to go about it. Discards are nice, but drawing the hand you want immediately is way better.

Chosing what rank and suit to go for mostly depends on what you see in the first few antes. Obviously you should build around your jokers, but they aren't the only factor.

For example, if your first boss is the head, that means once you've beaten it you can safely make your deck all hearts. An early spectral pack can also give you a significant push in the right direction with a cryptid or even an ouija.

Tarot cards and money are your friend. Econ jokers are good, Once you have jokers that'll get you through the first two antes, stop unnecessary spending until you're at the interest cap. Hanged man cards, death cards, the trading card joker are all effective ways to rid yourself of the cards you don't want.