Lightning Baccarat by Evolution Gaming is a modern twist on the classic online casino baccarat game. This variation has quickly become a favourite in the gaming world thanks to the multipliers promising big wins. This innovative game integrates randomly selected lightning cards into the classic baccarat game.
Each card has the potential to boost the payouts by up to 8 times. If you are curious to discover more about Lightning Baccarat, in this article, we will explore the unique rules and strategies of the game, examining what makes it so appealing to both newcomers and seasoned players.
What Is Lightning Baccarat?
Lightning Baccarat is a great live casino variation on the original card game. More specifically: a Baccarat live game show with flashy multipliers. Special lightning cards can multiply your winnings enormously. In theory, even up to 1,310,270x the bet, but the jackpot is capped at €500,000.
Lightning Baccarat follows Evolution Gaming’s proven recipe: classic games in the live casino are enhanced with revolutionary new features. Think of other lightning variants like Lightning Roulette, and Lightning Dice but also the popular money wheel games like Dream Catcher, Monopoly Live, and Crazy Time live. Evolution always knows how to capture the audience.
Differences In Lightning Vs. Traditional Baccarat
Lightning Baccarat shares a lot of similarities with traditional Baccarat, but it also introduces unique elements, particularly in its payout structure. This game is played using eight decks of cards, and both the player and the banker are dealt two cards each like in the original version. Card values in Lightning Baccarat also remain consistent with the traditional game: Aces are valued at one point, and the 10, Jack, Queen, and King are worth zero points. The objective stays the same. You as a player need to predict whether the player’s or the banker’s hand will be closest to a total of 9. You can also bet on a tie.
The defining feature of Lightning Baccarat, as the name suggests, is the lightning multiplier mechanic. The Lightning Rounds set it apart from standard Baccarat. At the beginning of each round, one to five cards are randomly selected as Lightning Cards. These cards each receive a multiplier ranging from 2x to 8x. Winning a hand that includes a Lightning Card means your payout is multiplied by the card’s multiplier. This can go up to 512x your stake for the Player or the Banker bets. The returns can be significantly larger depending on the multiplier your cards receive.
To support the extra cost of the multipliers, Lightning Baccarat introduces a Lightning Fee. This is a compulsory additional wager of 20% of your total bet per round. This fee is unique to this version of Baccarat and is not a feature in traditional Baccarat games.
How To Play Lightning Baccarat at Cricbaba Casino?
Playing Lightning Baccarat Online at Cricbaba Casino is easy and quick. The gameplay mirrors the traditional baccarat experience, so you will not need to learn new rules. The lightning round happens before each baccarat round and you will not need to do anything other than watching the bonus cards picked up automatically.
Here’s a step-by-step explanation of how you can get started playing this game online:
- Set Up Your Account: First, register an account at Cricbaba Casino. This process includes filling in your details and setting up a secure username and password.
- Fund Your Account: If you want to bet real money on Lightning Baccarat, you’ll need to deposit funds into your casino account. Luckily, Cricbaba provides a nice variety of deposit options, such as credit cards, e-wallets, and instant bank transfers, for your convenience.
- Place Your Bet: When a round begins, you’ll have a set period to place your bet. Your choices are straightforward. You can bet on the player’s hand, the banker’s hand, or opt for a tie. Lightning Baccarat also offers the opportunity to place two side bets: Player Pair and Banker Pair.
- Enjoy the Game: After all bets are in, the live dealer deals two cards each to the player and the banker. Your objective is to predict which hand will end up with a value closest to nine. Unique to Lightning Baccarat, the dealer also draws Lightning Cards that can apply multipliers of up to 8x on your winnings. If you have multiple lightning cards in your hand, the multipliers will be even higher.
Live Lightning Baccarat Side Bets
In Live Lightning Baccarat you also have side bets. These are not unique and you will certainly have encountered them before if you are already familiar with other baccarat variants. These side bets are the Player Pair and the Banker Pair. They allow you to bet on whether a pair will appear on the Banker’s or Player’s side. You win these bets if the first two cards on either the Player or Banker side form a pair, regardless of the outcome of the main hand.
For example, if you place a Player Pair bet and the first two cards on the Player’s side are a pair (like two 7s), you win the side bet. The payouts for these side bets are higher than the main game bets. They offer a fixed payout of 9 times your stake. This is much higher than the Player or Banker bets. Don’t forget, you don’t need to win the hand to win the side bet.
Play Lightning Baccarat online at Cricbaba Casino
What Are the Features of Lightning Baccarat?
Live Lightning Baccarat by Evolution Gaming is a mix of traditional baccarat merged with their “Lightning” multiplier feature, which delivers supercharged payouts.
Game Rounds
For each game round of Lightning Baccarat, the lightning round is added to the gameplay. Then the main card round starts where you choose from the three possible betting options as well as the two side bets.
The Lightning Round
According to the Lightning Baccarat Rules, the Lightning Round takes place before the cards are dealt in each round. Every lightning round, between 1 and 5 Lightning Cards are activated with Multipliers of x2, x3, x4, x5 and x8. If 1 of the Lightning cards is part of your bet, your bet is multiplied by the active Multiplier.
An example: you bet on Player and win your bet. With the Lightning Cards at the bottom left of the screen, you can see that the ten of spades gives an 8x Multiplier. Because this card is included in your winning bet, you will also receive this Multiplier! Because you can win multiple Multipliers at the same time, this can be quite significant. The same cards can fall as well because you play with multiple decks of cards.
Main Card Round
After the Lightning round, the game will continue like most baccarat variants. The stakes are almost the same as those of regular Live Baccarat. You will Bet on Banker, Player or Tie. The dealer then deals the Banker and the Player 2 cards. The one closest to 9 points wins.
The counting of the cards is as you are used to from classic Baccarat:
- Cards 2 through 9 count as their face value.
- The 10 and the face cards count as 0 and the ace as 1 point.
After the cards are dealt, you have three options to bet on the outcome of a round:
- Player: the player wins (payout 1:1)
- Banker: the bank wins (payout 1:1 minus 5% commission)
- Tie: it will be a draw (payout 5:1)
You can also choose to place a side bet (Pair) in addition to the basic bet. You then bet that the first two cards will be the same (the colour does not matter). In that case, you win a payout of 9:1.
It is also important to mention that this live game is suitable for every type of player, from high to low bettors. The bets start from a minimum of €1 to a maximum of €2000 per game. Please note that you have to invest extra for the Lightning function. That is standard 20% of your investment. The multipliers are paid from this surcharge.
Live Lightning Baccarat Payouts
In Live Lightning Baccarat the payouts are always based on the basic bet, so excluding the 20% surcharge. The maximum basic bet varies per live casino but is usually 2,000 euros, excluding the 20% surcharge.
| Bet Type | Payouts | Lightning Multipliers |
| Player | 1:1 | 2x to 8x |
| Banker | 0.95:1 | 2x to 8x |
| Tie | 5:1 | 2x to 8x |
| Player Pair | 9:1 | – |
| Banker Pair | 9:1 | – |
Live Lightning Baccarat RTP
Any Baccarat player has known it for a long time: Baccarat has a more than excellent payout percentage, at least as long as you choose the Player or Banker bets.
- Player: 98,67%
- Banker: 98,59%
- Tie: 94,51%
- Side Bet Player Pair: 88,35%
- Side Bet Bank Pair: 88,35%
The Player bet has the lowest house edge: only 1.33%. The Bank bet is slightly less attractive with a house edge of 1.41%.
The Tie and the Side Bets have a very high house edge and should therefore be avoided. The Side Bets in particular, with a house edge of 11.65%, pay out laughably little.
Play Lightning Baccarat online at Cricbaba Casino
Live Lightning Baccarat Odds
Live Lightning Baccarat Odds are great as the prizes in this great live game can really add up. For the Player and the Banker, you can get paid a maximum of 512x your stake. For the tie option, you can win up to 1,310,720x your stake! And for the Player and Banker Pair side bet may give you up to 576x your stake. Like the classic one, Live Lightning Baccarat is also an excellent game for the players who prefer a low house edge. That is why you see the big players playing this game everywhere in the Lightning Baccarat Casinos.
When it comes to the worst Lightning Baccarat Odds, you will see that the bets on Tie and the Side Bets are not that favourable for you as a player. So don’t bet too much on these if you are smart. But we understand that every now and then, you may want to take your chance on the tie bet.
Lightning Baccarat Tips
There is no sure way to predict the outcome of a Lightning Baccarat round. The Baccarat rules dictate the game. The player’s and banker’s moves are determined by these rules and not by a Lightning Baccarat Strategy that you will apply at any moment during the gameplay. However, there are certain things that you as a player have an influence on in Lightning Baccarat: the size of your bets, how you bet on the multipliers, and whose hand you bet on.
Bet With the Player
If you want to know How To Win Lightning Baccarat, our tip is clear: only choose Player. The Tie bet may pay out a huge amount, but the chance of winning it with the maximum multiplier active is astronomically low. The banker bet cuts a 5% commission on each win so the Player bet is the most advantageous one in terms of RTP.
Manage Your Bankroll
As we always emphasize in our game reviews, effective bankroll management is crucial. Set a budget before you start playing and stick to it. Avoid the temptation to chase losses, and be mindful of the size of your bets compared to your total bankroll.
Go For the Biggest Multiplier
Lightning Baccarat’s unique feature is its Lightning Multipliers. While betting on these can be risky, they offer the potential for significantly increased payouts. Consider allocating a portion of your bankroll to these bets, but do so judiciously to balance the risk.
Know When to Quit
One of the most important aspects of gambling is knowing when to stop. Whether you’re ahead or have reached your loss limit, it’s important to quit while you’re still in control. Regular breaks can help you maintain perspective and make more rational decisions.
