Lightning Baccarat Game Review

Evolution Gaming has more than a few games in its Lightning series. The live casino franchise notable for its use of epic multipliers spans roulette, blackjack, and more. Baccarat is also a “lightning game”, and unlike the black sheep of the genre (Lightning Blackjack), this one is played in much the same way as Lighting Roulette and Lightning Dice.

Lightning Baccarat isn’t a one-off release, either. The game may have debuted in 2020, but it has since been designed and launched as a First-Person game to boot. These are casino games that can be played in live or RNG (random number generator) format, as you see fit. Of course, we’re mostly interested in the live Lightning Baccarat game, so we’re going to focus on that one in our Lightning Baccarat review today.

Theme and Design

Lightning Baccarat certainly looks the part, with a glowing amber backdrop and a maroon-red table. The dealer stands from and center in this release, which features a host of on-screen betting options, histories, and other stats. The game is streamed from Latvia but is playable in English and over fifteen other languages.

You’ll find that the camera switches conveniently from a far-off view straight into the heart of the action when the game begins. This allows you to get up close and personal with the game. Of course, aesthetics is one thing, but how does the game actually play? You are going to need to learn a whole lot to play this game. You certainly won’t have to bother studying the third-card rule. What does this mean for you? Let’s find out.

Specs and Gameplay

To get the ball rolling, Lightning Baccarat players are invited to play a game that has an RTP of 98.76%. Moreover, you’re looking at a baccarat game that costs at least $1 a hand, upwards of $500 a pop. With a bit of luck, you might be able to win as much as $500,000 in this game, and that’s the real eye-opener, really, isn’t it? Most baccarat games have 1:1 pay rates, or even 0.95:1 if there is a commission involved. However, because of the use of multipliers, you can win up to half-a-million dollars here.

Lightning Baccarat is played in much the same way as other baccarat games. There are eight 52-card decks used, and you can bet on the Banker or Player to win or a tied hand. As in all games, there is no busting, and the hand that scores closest to nine will win. There are times when a third card must be drawn, and that can prove troublesome if you’re playing at home with friends or in land-based venues. However, the human dealer will handle that action here.

The banker’s hand has a marginally better chance of success, which is why you must pay a 5% commission on any winning banker’s hands. Alternatively, you can pocket 1:1 on winning player hands and 5:1 for pairs. We’re not impressed with that. Normally, you can expect a 9:1 payout for a tied hand. We’re not sure why Lightning Baccarat robs us here.

The main addition to this game are the multipliers, and like in other “lightning games,” they can make the difference between a so-so win and an astronomical one. After the betting round is over, up to five cards will be randomly selected from the deck and “struck by lightning”. These will then be assigned multiplier values that could include 2x, 3x, 4x, 5x, or 8x. The game then progresses as normal.

If you manage to successfully predict the winning hand, you will win your bet as normal. However, if one of the Lightning Cards (see above) appears in the winning hand, you’ll pocket a multiplier based on the assigned value. Moreover, if several Lightning Cards appear in the hand, you can prosper from multiple multipliers multiplied together – now that’s a mouthful! In this manner, you can find up to five multipliers working together to deliver an epic win on top of your standard prize. Naturally, this would amount to epic prizes if you successfully bet on a tied hand.

Bonus Features

There is a side-bet included in Lightning Baccarat, too. However, this is scarcely worth mentioning. It can be selected before any new game takes place and is optional. It is known as the Pairs Bet. Once selected, you can predict which (if any) of the two hands will have a pair. If you manage to successfully predict a pair appearing in one hand, you’ll win a tasty prize worth 9:1. This is the prize you “should” receive for a tied hand. What’s more is that if the pair side-bet is successful, it will also be subject to multipliers from any Lightning Cards that are featured in the hand.

GOSU Verdict

There are definitely things we love about Lightning Baccarat and one thing we don’t. We’re not a fan of the fact that the payouts for a tied hand have been effectively halved (almost). This has clearly been done to drum up interest in the Pairs side-bet. That’s kind of poor form from Evolution Gaming. However, we have no complaints about the rest of the game, nor, indeed, the amount of money you can win if you strike it lucky. There just simply aren’t many other baccarat games (live or otherwise) out there that can deliver wins worth up to $500,000.

If you are interested in playing Lightning Baccarat, you should know that you’ve got two ways to play the game. If you don’t particularly care for the live dealer version, then opt to play the First-Person Lightning Baccarat game. This allows you to switch the action to an RNG (random number generator) version. If at any point you fancy swapping back to the live dealer version, you can do so from inside the game.

Best Bitcoin Casinos with Lightning Baccarat

Relevant news