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Lightning Baccarat: Our Review, How and Where to Play

!DISCLOSURE
Evolution by Evolution

Live Lightning Baccarat by Evolution is a live dealer baccarat game released in 2020. It boasts an RTP of 98.76% with a minimum bet of $1 and a $500 maximum wager. The game is available on both desktop and mobile and features multipliers and Evolution’s professionally trained live dealers.

The Lightning feature of the original Evolution Lightning Roulette proved to be quite a success. More similar titles were rolled not long after, and a live table baccarat table seems like the obvious choice. In this Lightning Baccarat game review, we’ll see how Evolution baccarat meshes with such shocking features.

Lightning Baccarat
  • Excitement
  • Design & Sound
  • Streaming Quality
  • Interactivity
  • Win Potential

Live Lightning Baccarat Review

Game Specifications
Game name Lightning Baccarat
Game provider Evolution
Game type Baccarat
Streaming from Latvia
RTP 98.76%
Bet range €1 - €500
Max win $500000
Side bets Yes
Supported platforms Android Apple Desktop Mobile Tablet Windows
Supported OS Android Windows
Languages Albanian Albanian Bulgarian Bulgarian Chinese Chinese Croatian Croatian Czech Czech Finnish Finnish +15
All supported languages
  • Albanian Albanian
  • Bulgarian Bulgarian
  • Chinese Chinese
  • Croatian Croatian
  • Czech Czech
  • Finnish Finnish
  • French French
  • German German
  • Hebrew Hebrew
  • Italian Italian
  • Japanese Japanese
  • Polish Polish
  • Portuguese Portuguese
  • Romanian Romanian
  • Russian Russian
  • Serbian Serbian
  • Slovak Slovak
  • Spanish Spanish
  • Swedish Swedish
  • Thai Thai
  • Turkish Turkish

Evolution Gaming’s latest product presented at ICE 2020 is another lightning-powered casino game hosted by elegant dealers in a gorgeous, breath-taking studio setting. Evolution completely won over the audience with Lightning Dice and especially with Lightning Roulette, which was one of the biggest releases of its time. They then decided to whip out another electrifying casino game just in time for the beginning of the year. The third member of the Lightning family is Lightning Baccarat. It’s the first one to embrace the card games tradition while continuing the popular company concept of combining RNG multipliers with live table action.

The great thing about Lightning Baccarat is that you don’t have to learn any special rules to be able to play it. This is still a standard baccarat game where well-known rules apply. You merely need to go over a few new features and you’ll be ready to place your first bet. In case you haven’t had a chance to play Lightning live casino games before, you will be swept away by the stunning Art Deco environment and the graceful mannerisms of the dealers.

Game Features

Evolution has an excellent reputation for producing high-quality live dealer games. Players worldwide trust this provider, as it is known for its innovation and commitment to fair play.

Lightning Baccarat is yet another example of their ability to push the boundaries of live gaming by adding exciting features and making the gameplay more entertaining and engaging.

  • Standard Baccarat Rules: The game follows traditional baccarat rules where players bet on whether the Player or Banker will win, or if there will be a tie. The goal is to have a hand value closest to 9.
  • Fast Gameplay: Lightning Baccarat is designed for speed. The game provides a 12-second time frame to set bets, so you need to be prepared to make fast decisions.
  • Lightning Fee: A 20% Lightning Fee is applied to each player’s overall bet to fund the game and the Lightning payouts.

Key Highlights

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Lighting round with multipliers that can go up to 262,144x.
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Magnificent studio setting with random flashes of lightning.
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Trained dealers you can chat with.
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Standard baccarat rules make the game easy to master.
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Two side bets available paying 9:1 odds, Banker Pair and Player Pair.
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Detailed tracking of the past 100+ rounds.

How to Play Lightning Baccarat Online

As with most baccarat games, Lightning Baccarat is played with 8 standard 52-card decks and the dealer draws cards from a shoe of previously shuffled cards. You will be betting on Banker, Player, or Tie, the three standard wagers in baccarat. Therefore, you will see three main betting areas for these three bets. There will also be two additional side bet areas for Banker Pair and Player Pair. We’ll discuss these in more detail in the special features section.

Betting on the Banker means that you stake your money on the Banker’s hand to beat the Player’s hand. The hand that has a value closest to 9 wins. To interpret the hand values you need to remember that Aces are ranked the lowest in a game of baccarat and they are worth 1 point each. Cards from 2 to 9 retain their face values, whereas 10s, Jacks, Queens, and Kings are worth 0 points.

Importantly, there are rules for drawing a third card. If the pile’s point total is between 0 and 5 after the first two cards, that side draws another. The only exception is if the banker already has 8 or 9, in which case the banker wins outright. This means that the banker side has a slight advantage – it’s more likely to win in the right circumstances. That’s why a 5% commission is charged on all banker wins.

The only other thing you need to know about how Lightning Baccarat works are the multipliers. We’ll explain these further down.

Live Casino Best Tips for Lightning Baccarat

  • Statistically speaking, you should see a Lightning card dawn once every 3 rounds.
  • Some lightning cards are better than others, depending on which cards were discarded in previous rounds.
  • In other words, some basic baccarat card counting can be quite useful.

Pros and Cons

Pros

Cons

✅ Innovative Lightning multipliers ❌ Higher commission on winnings
✅ Immersive gameplay ❌ Higher volatility due to random multipliers
✅ High-quality live streaming
✅ Mobile compatibility
✅ Great live dealer experience
✅ Wide betting range
✅ User-friendly interface
✅ Beautiful, luxurious studio design
✅ Exciting gameplay

Lightning Baccarat Live Dealer Experience

Live games are designed to provide a realistic casino experience online. Let’s see how Lightning Baccarat from Evolution performs in that:

  • Professionalism and Engagement: The hosts of this game are typically engaging, friendly, and professional, which enhances the atmosphere and makes the game more social.
  • Knowledge and Guidance: The dealers guide players throughout the game and know the Lightning Baccarat rules perfectly, providing help and explanation whenever necessary.
  • Real-Time Interaction: Players can interact with the Lightning Baccarat live dealers through a chat feature, so they can always ask questions and receive real-time responses.
  • Performance Consistency: The dealers are well-trained to maintain consistency, whether they’re managing high-stakes tables or games with casual players.

Live Casino Lightning Baccarat Strategy and Tips

As playing Lightning Baccarat online strongly involves luck, there is no single strategy to follow and win every time. However, by following these tips, you can maximize your chances:

  • Follow the Basic Baccarat Strategies:
    • Bet on the Banker: Statistically, the Banker has a slightly higher chance of winning compared to the Player, so it’s a more favorable bet despite a 5% commission on winnings. What’s more, this strategy reduces the house edge.
    • Avoid Tie Bets: While Tie bets can offer high payouts, they come with significantly lower odds of winning, so many baccarat players tend to avoid them.
  • Leverage the Lightning Cards: Statistically speaking, you should see a Lightning card dawn once every 3 rounds. Some lightning cards are better than others, depending on which cards were discarded in previous rounds. In other words, some basic baccarat card counting can be quite useful.
  • Set a Budget: As with all casino games, it’s essential to set up a budget before you start playing and stick to it no matter what. It’s particularly important in the case of Live Lightning Baccarat due to its higher volatility resulting from the multipliers and potential for large swings in bankroll.
  • Do Not Follow the Martingale System: While the Martingale betting system (doubling your bet after each loss) is popular in standard baccarat, they aren’t recommended for Lightning Baccarat. The 20% Lightning Fee makes each round more expensive, which may lead to significant losses in a losing streak. What’s more, this game’s multipliers are random and cannot be predicted, making the Martingale System ineffective.

Mobile Gaming

As many players love to enjoy their live casino games on the go, Evolution has optimized Lightning Baccarat also for Android and iOS devices.

  • Mobile Browser Access: To play on a mobile device, you can visit one of the Lightning Baccarat online casinos recommended by us through your mobile browser.
  • Casino App Access: Some Lightning Baccarat casinos have dedicated mobile apps that make playing the game even more convenient and offer faster performance.
  • Responsive Design: The game interface adapts perfectly to different screen sizes and devices, so you can expect a consistent gaming experience no matter where you’re playing.
  • Touch Controls: Lightning Baccarat’s touch controls are intuitive and responsive, so you can easily place bets and navigate the game on mobile devices.

Game Interface

Let’s take a closer look at the game interface in Lightning Baccarat, which strongly affects the overall experience:

Visual Design

  • Art Deco Environment: The game is set in a stunning black-and-gold Art Deco environment, which makes the setting feel luxurious and immersive.
  • Electrifying Visuals: Random lightning flashes in the interface signify high-payout RNG multipliers and make the gameplay more exciting.
  • Excellent Animations: Animations highlight winning hands, payouts, and multiplier effects so that everyone can easily follow the gameplay.

Functionality and Layout

  • The game is focused on the table and the dealer, and you can easily see and follow what is happening.
  • The randomly generated Lightning Cards and their associated multipliers (2x, 3x, 4x, 5x, or 8x) are clearly visible.
  • The interface is designed to be intuitive and easy to navigate, allowing players to quickly understand the game and effortlessly place bets on both desktop and mobile devices.

Interactive Features

  • Statistics Panel: Players can access real-time statistics on past rounds, including the outcomes of Player, Banker, and Tie bets. This may help them identify common patterns and develop a betting strategy.
  • Live Chat: The chat feature allows players to easily communicate with each other and the dealer, similar to how they would behave in a land-based casino.

Streaming Quality

The Lightning Baccarat’s streaming quality strongly contributes to the immersive live dealer experience.

  • High-Quality Video Streaming: The game is streamed in HD, and players can adjust the video quality to suit their internet connection.
  • Multiple Camera Angles: Evolution’s studio has multiple cameras that allow viewers to see the show from various angles and notice every important detail.
  • Card Close-Ups: When cards are dealt, the camera zooms in for a detailed view, ensuring players can clearly see their values.
  • Mobile Optimization: The livestream is optimized for various devices, including desktops, tablets, and smartphones.

Watch Video Preview of Lightning Baccarat from Evolution

Below, you’ll find a nice compilation of stunning Lightning Baccarat moments, compiled by Evolution themselves. It does a great job of showing how to win Lightning Baccarat. Both the multiplier feature and stunning studio are there, which should give you a solid idea of the game experience.

In true Evolution fashion, the Lightning Baccarat game is quite the spectacle. That said, it’s a bit more subtle than the equivalent roulette game – there are no dramatic lever pulls this time. Still, it’s quite breathtaking even among the best live baccarat games.

Common Mistakes and How to Avoid Them

Here are some of the most frequently made mistakes and possible solutions that can improve your Lightning Baccarat gaming experience:

Common Mistake Description How to Avoid It
Betting on Tie Excessively Getting tempted to bet on Tie due to its high payout, despite its low probability of winning. Place Tie bets occasionally and focus on safer options like Banker or Player bets with lower house edges.
Misunderstanding Multipliers Not fully realizing that the Lightning multipliers apply only to the winning hands that include multiplier cards. Read the Lightning Baccarat rules carefully to understand when and how multipliers affect payouts. If necessary, watch a demo or tutorial.
Ignoring Bankroll Management  Not managing the bankroll properly in pursuit of larger payouts and ending up with significant losses. Set a budget before playing and stick to it. Also, consider dividing your bankroll into smaller portions for each session to extend the playtime.
Failing to Understand the Game Rules Jumping in without fully understanding the Lightning Baccarat rules, can lead to making poor decisions and missing great opportunities. Familiarize yourself with the basic rules of baccarat and the specific features of Lightning Baccarat before playing.

Live Lightning Baccarat Payouts

The good part about Lightning Baccarat is that the payouts remain largely identical to regular live baccarat. This is most important for the two main bets – Player and Banker. Both sides still pay out even money, though Banker bets have a standard 5% commission.

The Tie wager and the side bets are where things become bad for the overall RTP. Tie bets payout an abysmal 5:1, compared to the standard 9:1. However, the tie bet can stack up with lightning multipliers for some stunning wins.

Bet Payout
Evolution Lightning Baccarat Payouts
Player 1:1
Banker 9.5:1
Tie 5:1
Pair 9:1

However, each bet is also charged a 20% fee to cover the cost of the multipliers. That’s why we recommend sticking to the two main bets – Player and Banker. Otherwise, you’re taking an increase to the house’s edge twice over.

If you play Lightning Baccarat for real money, keep in mind that the multipliers are integral to the game. That’s why these payouts are not nearly as bad as they might seem at first glance. These can stack with each other for impressive amounts, but all payouts are maxed at $500,000.

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Betting Limits

Our tests have shown that live casino Lighting Baccarat is a game suitable for players with various budgets. No matter if you are a beginner playing safely or a high roller wanting to win big, you can adjust the bet size to your preferences and possibilities and enjoy the game.

The exact betting limits can vary between Lightning Baccarat casinos, but in general, they are as follows:

  • Minimum Bet: $1
  • Maximum Bet: $500

Betting Options

There are various betting options available in Lightning Baccarat, as it covers both standard baccarat bets and additional side bets specific to this game.

Standard Bets

  • Player: A bet that the player’s hand will be closest to nine with a payout ratio of 1:1.
  • Banker: A bet that the banker’s hand will be closest to nine, also with a payout ratio of 1:1, but with a 5% commission applied.
  • Tie: A bet that the player and banker’s hands will have the same value, paying 5:1.

Side Bets

  • Player Pair: A side bet that the first two cards in the player’s hand will form a pair with a payout ratio of 9:1.
  • Banker Pair: A side bet that the first two cards in the banker’s hand will form a pair, also having a payout ratio of 9:1.

Live Lightning Baccarat RTP and House Edge

Lightning Baccarat offers statistical insights into the game’s payouts, including RTP (Return to Player) percentages for different bet types and how lightning multipliers affect the RTP and house edge.

Here’s what you should know:

  • RTP: The Lightning Baccarat RTP is 98.76%. However, it’s important to keep in mind that it can vary depending on the specific bets placed.
  • RTP by bet type:
    • Player bet: 98.76%
    • Banker bet: 98.59%
    • Tie bet: 94.51%
  • Lightning Multipliers: Lightning Cards can multiply payouts up to 8x their original value. If a player bets on the banker’s hand and the banker wins with a total of 6 points, and a lightning card with a 5x multiplier is drawn, the payout for that bet would be multiplied by 5.
  • Lightning Fee Impact: To fund the lightning multipliers, a 20% Lightning Fee is applied to all bets. This slightly reduces the RTP compared to standard Baccarat but allows for significantly larger potential payouts with multipliers. The fee adjusts the game’s house edge to balance the enhanced payout potential from Lightning Cards.

Fairness

Here’s why you can be sure to play Lightning Baccarat online safely:

  • Certifications and Licensing: Evolution is licensed and regulated by the UK Gambling Commission and the Malta Gaming Authority, which confirms that it isn’t a scam.
  • Real-Time Gameplay with Live Dealers: The presence of live dealers hosting the game in real-time improves its transparency, as you can see the cards dealing and other game elements the moment they happen.
  • RNG Certification: RNG (Random Number Generator) certification proves that the game’s multipliers are determined 100% randomly.
  • Excellent Provider’s Reputation: Evolution is a famous provider in the live casino industry, known for its commitment to fair gaming practices.

Special Features

So how does Lightning Baccarat work, in terms of the multipliers? Once betting time over, the so-called lightning round begins. Up to 5 cards are randomly selected and assigned a multiplier value that can be 2x, 3x, 4x, 5x, or 8x. Only then are the cards drawn and the baccarat game progresses as usual.

If you bet on one side and that side draws a lightning card and wins, your winnings will be multiplied by the assigned value. For instance, if you wager $10 on a Player bet and it gets multiplied by x5, you’ll win $100!

To make things even crazier, multiple Lightning cards all multiply each other to create massive wins. This also applies to Tie bets, which can get multiplied up to 6 times!

The Pair baccarat side bet works as normal as well. All you have to do is predict whether the chosen side will have a pair. Side bet winnings are also modified by multipliers.

Languages

  • All lightning baccarat live tables are broadcast in English, for now. However, the interface and the overlay can be changed to fit your needs. This is done through the settings menu, which looks exactly the same as in any other Evolution live casino game.
  • Available UI languages include English, Albanian, Bulgarian, Chinese, Croatian, Czech, Finnish, French, German, Hebrew, Italian, Japanese, Polish, Portuguese, Romanian, Russian, Serbian, Slovak, Spanish, Swedish, Thai, and Turkish.

Our Verdict of Live Lightning Baccarat

Baccarat lovers out there looking for a tight game version with a unique twist will fall in love with Lightning Baccarat.

Entering the game is easy since you already know the basic baccarat rules. You just need to wait for the multipliers to come and make your potential winnings significantly larger.

The only thing that may be seen as a downside to Lightning Baccarat is the upfront commission of 20%. These also mean that the overall RTP for this title is slightly lower than standard live baccarat versions.

After Lightning Baccarat, we can see that the Lightning series will become one of Evolution’s most prized and cherished creations.

These games are shared across various great gaming platforms, allowing players to benefit from them both in a visually immersive experience and gaming satisfaction.

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FAQ

Lightning Baccarat is a 2020 live casino baccarat game, made and released by Evolution. It presents players with a slight twist on the formula of top live dealer baccarat games by introducing multipliers.
Generally speaking – no. However, Evolution has been working hard on establishing a foothold in the US market, namely in New Jersey and Pennsylvania. For now, you can check out this list of top US live casinos and check if you’ll have access.
No. With a company the size and renown of Evolution, that’s highly unlikely. As with all casino games, though, the casino is always at an advantage, as described by the game’s RTP value.
That depends on what you’re looking for. If you just want to get as high of an RTP as possible, it’s not great. However, it’s incredibly exciting, and you can make massive amounts of money if you get lucky.
Since there’s no way to predict which cards get multipliers, you should just rely on standard baccarat strategies. However, give tie and pair bets an even wider berth than usual.
Hands down, the Player bet. It offers the best RTP by avoiding the Banker bet commission and doesn’t suffer from lowered odds like Tie.

How We Review Live Games

LiveCasinos.com experts prepare their reviews with precision, fairness, and transparency to make sure you have all the information you need to enjoy the best live gaming experience.

Thanks to our expertise, we know which sources and methods to use to test out the live games thoroughly (including Lightning Baccarat). We take various criteria into account, including:

  • Fairness and Trustworthiness: We would never direct you to unsafe Lightning Baccarat casinos, so we always carefully analyze how trustworthy the provider and the platform are. Our team verifies if the game is provided by a licensed developer and uses certified Random Number Generator (RNG) mechanics where applicable. We test the payout percentages and ensure the game meets the industry standards for fairness.
  • Gameplay Analysis: We thoroughly examine and test out the game’s mechanics, rules, and unique features to check whether the gameplay is engaging, smooth, and innovative. When it comes to playing Lightning Baccarat online, we also pay close attention to the available multipliers.
  • Streaming Quality: We evaluate video resolution, audio clarity, and overall reliability across multiple devices to make sure the game can provide great immersion without any technical difficulties. We analyze the live dealer professionalism and the studio setup.
  • Betting Options and Limits: We assess the range of betting options to ensure the game is suitable for both casual players and high rollers.
  • User Experience: We check whether the design is easy to navigate, responsive, and user-friendly. Our team plays the game on both desktop and mobile devices to provide a comprehensive review.

Responsible Gaming Disclaimer

While playing Lightning Baccarat online, remember that gambling should be approached as entertainment, not as a source of income. Focus on enjoying the game instead of focusing on winnings only.

Here are some tips on how to gamble responsibly:

  • Always set limits for your time and money spent on gambling and stick to them
  • Do not chase losses, as it is likely that you will just lose more money
  • Don’t bet more than you are able to afford
  • Do not neglect your physiological needs and overall health

If gambling has already started to be a problem, do not ignore that and reach out to one of the helpful organizations, such as:

Written and fact checked by: Luka Jestrovic

Last Update: March 5, 2025

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