Lightning Baccarat guide

Evolution Gaming released lightning games to reimagine the basic table games, introducing lightning cards to the gameplay. Lightning Roulette and XXXtreme Lightning Baccarat are among the most popular. The latter increases the payout of the traditional Baccarat game to 262,144 times the bet.

XXXtreme Lightning Baccarat’s lower house edge appeals to many live casino players. Lightning Baccarat is available on mobile phones or desktops, like other Baccarat games. Winning more boils down to the lightning cards and multipliers.

Betting on the player or banker remains the approach to playing Lightning Baccarat, with the random bonus features upping the payout. Read through this guide before placing your next bet on this lightning game. With that in mind, let’s explore Lightning Baccarat's gameplay, features, and payouts.

By Adiela de Bruyn - Last modified 2024/02/08 - Estimated reading time: 9 minutes.

Table of contents

Lightning Baccarat guide

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What icon

What is Lightning Baccarat?

The player and banker bets return in this upgraded Baccarat game variant.Lightning Baccarat is a live dealer casino game. Contrarily, the standard Baccarat game can be a table title.

XXXtreme Lightning Baccarat

XXXtreme Lightning Baccarat is similar to the regular lightning baccarat.However, it boasts more lightning cards and multipliers.

Gameplay Overview

The basic placement of player or banker bets continues in this variant. Also, standard Baccarat rules apply.

Side Bets (the banker pair and the player pair)

Lightning Baccarat provides more winning opportunities with two side bets. These include the player and banker pairs in standard Baccarat.

The side bets involve betting that the player or banker will have a pair when the dealer draws their cards.

The Lightning Cards and Multipliers

Lightning Baccarat sets itself apart from traditional Baccarat with lightning cards and multipliers.The game selects one to five random cards as the lightning cards. Gameplay comes from the 52-card deck.

The winning hand that contains any of these lightning cards wins a random multiplier.Evolution assigns the multiplier values as follows: 2x, 3x, 4x, 5x, and 8x.

All players have 12 seconds to bet before a new game round begins. Look at the bottom left corner to see the lightning cards and the multipliers.

Tie Bet

The player and banker hands can be the same, whether playing lightning or the standard Baccarat. Placing a tie bet covers that possibility.

Tie bets carry more risks than standard wagers. Hence, they have higher payouts than player or banker draws.

Betting icon

The Design and the Betting Table

Evolution sticks with the simple design, making placing and identifying a winning bet easy.The dealer stays at the centre, while the controls and betting options stay below the dealer and the table.

Banker and player wagers have red and blue colours. Tie bets appear between them. Then, the side bets sit outside this primary betting area.

Your chips are below the table. Click to add them to your bet. The bottom-left corner contains your total bet, balance, and total winnings when you win.

Evolution allows players to see each other’s wagers. You can also see the top payout as the game progresses.

Overall, the design is crisp enough to identify a matching lightning card.Lightning Baccarat’s colours are visually pleasing, from your initial stake to the final round.

How icon

The Basic Rules and How to Play Lightning Baccarat

This game begins with the standard Baccarat rules before advancing to the lightning round.The dealer calls for bets before the new game round. Players drop their bets before the dealer draws the cards from the 52-card deck (eight decks in total).

Live dealers can only draw two cards for the banker or player. Hence, both the player and banker receive two cards during the initial game round.

The dealer can deal a third card to the player if it has a hand of five or less. Similarly, the dealer can deal a third card to the banker, but that happens after giving the player a third card.

Winning the primary wagers boils down to the hand value. A banker's hand can be lesser, higher, or equal to the player's hand.

The player wins if it has the higher hand. Conversely, the banker wins if it has the higher hand.

A winning hand is the one closest to or equal to nine. Eights and nines are naturals in lightning and normal Baccarat. Cards will not be drawn again if they occur.

Side bets (the banker pair side bet and the player pair) come into the Baccarat rules. The winning hand in a side bet becomes the side with the pair.

Both the banker and player can have pairs or similar hands, resulting in a tie bet. Players who bet on the player or banker will not win or lose their bets. They can carry on to the next game round.

Pairs occur when the dealer draws two cards of the same rank and suit for the banker or player. Note that “banker” and “player” refer to betting options not individuals.

The Lightning Round

Randomly selected lightning cards appear after the betting time. The player’s total bet will be 20% more than normal Baccarat. While casinos strive to make lightning baccarat available for casual players, ensure you have a large bankroll.

The multiplier cards could be 1, 2, 3, 4, or 5 after the betting time (the number is random). These lightning cards appear with lightning multipliers (2x, 3x, 4x, 5x, and 8x). Bet on the player, and you’ll win a payout if the player wins. The same applies to the banker draws.

Matching lightning cards is the key to winning the lightning round. Your card or cards must be the same as at least one lightning card to win the random multiplier.

How to Play Baccarat

Here's our guide on how to play Baccarat:

  • Log into your casino account or register if you have none.
  • Ensure you have sufficient bankroll.
  • Load Lightning Baccarat.
  • Wait for any ongoing lightning round to finish before betting.
  • Place and adjust your bet on the banker's or player's hand or the tie and side bets.
  • Wait for the dealer to draw the cards.
  • The multiplier cards will appear.
  • The dealer will compare which bets contain at least one lightning card.

You can use the same steps when playing XXXtreme Lightning Baccarat. Matching lightning cards still apply to this enhanced version of the lightning baccarat. The main difference is the increase in the lightning cards and multipliers.

With more lightning cards, you can land six matching lightning cards when you bet on a tie. That gives a maximum payout of 262,144x. The bet on a tie carries the highest payout, but more substantial wins are up for grabs.

This game gets exciting beyond matching lightning cards if you have multiple matches in one lightning round. The dealer will stack the multipliers, increasing your payouts.

Each betting option can have a maximum of three cards. Also, the five lightning cards can match all the cards in the winning hand.

Lightning baccarat live

Playing Lightning Baccarat live at PlayOJO casino.

Payouts icon

Payouts in Lightning Baccarat

As mentioned earlier, the hand closest to nine wins. These primary wins produce regular payouts with the house edge applied.

The following are the card values in Lightning Baccarat:

  • The king, queen, jack, and 10s are worth 0 points
  • Aces have one point
  • 2 – 9 cards have values equal to their face values

All values above nine return only the second digit as your total hand. You can only stand when your hand is six or above. Otherwise, you must draw a third card.

With that in mind, the payouts in this game are as follows:

  • Side bets have 9:1 payouts
  • Banker and player bets can give up to 512x payouts, depending on how many matching lightning cards you have.
  • Tie bets pay 5:1. Notwithstanding, they have the highest win when six matching lightning cards occur.

The casino’s commission is 5% if the player or banker wins. However, Lightning Baccarat has a 98.76% RTP with a higher house edge than the standard game.

Strategy icon

The Best Strategy for Lightning Baccarat

The results in live casino games remain unpredictable, but you can improve your winning chances with strategies. They can give you enough playing time to make a winning bet.

You can use the Martingale strategy to split and increase your wagers. This strategy involves doubling your wager when you lose. It can cover your losses, but it exposes you to more losses.

Follow the tips below to make the most out of Lightning Baccarat:

  • Practice with the Baccarat table game.
  • Regulate your playing time with periodic timeouts.
  • Set your budget before starting the game.
  • Avoid large stakes unless you are a high roller.
  • Take losses in the game, but don’t pursue them.
  • Set limits for consecutive wins to avoid incurring heavy losses.
  • Bet the same amount when winning.

The tie wagers are the least likely to occur. They have a 9.45% chance, compared to 44.61% and 45.84% from the player and banker wagers, respectively.

Finding icon

Finding Reputable Casinos to Play Lightning Baccarat

Reputable casinos can enhance the gaming experience at Lightning Baccarat. They provide security for your data and funds. Also, they are reliable for payouts with attestation from other players.

Here are a few tips to help you identify reputable casinos for Lightning Baccarat:

  • Confirm the casino’s registration details and licenses
  • Endorsements from third-party testing agencies like eCOGRA are a plus.
  • Ensure the casino supports live dealer games.
  • Review the minimum and maximum deposits for the game.
  • Customer support should be responsive.
  • The user interface should be friendly with smooth navigation.
Games icon

Other Casino Games You Can Play

Online casinos feature other live dealer games. You can play other games in the Lightning series, including Lightning Dice. Alternatively, opt for a new experience with blackjack and game shows.

Conclusion icon

Conclusion

Lightning Baccarat is an exciting variant with bonuses for high payouts. The multipliers and lightning cards appear randomly. Nonetheless, each bet looks forward to landing matching cards.

Set limits for your wins and losses. Take regular breaks or go on self-exclusion to avoid compulsive gameplay. Ultimately, play Lightning Baccarat for fun.

Questions icon

Frequently Asked Questions about Lightning Baccarat

How does Lightning Baccarat work?

The game works by adding bonus cards and multipliers. Players with winning hands will receive increased payouts if their cards match the bonus cards.

What is XXXtreme Lightning Baccarat?

This version adds more lightning cards and multipliers. The rules and gameplay remain the same as in regular Lightning Baccarat.

Author: Adiela de Bruyn

Adiela de Bruyn

Adiela de Bruyn, our founder, launched this site in 2016. Since then, she's written over 100 pages filled with crucial info to enhance your gaming experience. Her goal? To provide you with the best, most reliable online casino knowledge.

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