Evolution Gaming, the world leader in live casino games, continues to expand its Lightning game portfolio. Following the various live casino games that already have Lightning versions, such as dice, roulette, and baccarat, it is now the turn of Blackjack to have its Lightning version. Evolution Gaming’s Lightning Blackjack is a live casino game.
This well-known casino game provider was founded in 2006 in Riga, Latvia. Evolution Gaming has had a lot of success in the online casino world since their first games were released. It quickly rose to become the market leader it is today. They always make games that are more entertaining and innovative than the previous ones.
Let’s take a look at what Lightning Blackjack brings for the players. Read on:
What is Lightning Blackjack?
Lightning Blackjack is a table game in the same way that baccarat, roulette, or traditional blackjack is. The goal of lightning blackjack, like the game of blackjack, is to get a higher score than the dealer without exceeding 21. In this version of the game, the best hand is still the blackjack. To get a blackjack, the sum of your first two cards must be greater than or equal to 21. Nothing more, nothing less. The other players are not your adversaries. The dealer is your sole and unique opponent. In contrast to traditional blackjack, there is no limit to the number of players.
So you’re going to tell us what makes it unique from traditional blackjack? The special feature of the Lightning version of this game is that your winnings are not simply doubled when you win a hand. You can win between 2 and 25 times your bet!
The different characteristics of the game:
- It is played with 8 decks of 52 cards
- The dealer always stands on 17
- You can double your two initial cards
- When the dealer gets an Ace, he checks if he has blackjack
- A draw with the dealer is possible
- You can split only once per hand
- When splitting aces you will only receive one card
- You can’t double after a split
- You can take the insurance when the dealer gets an ace
- Two cards of equal value can be split
- Blackjack pays 3:2
- Winning with insurance pays 2:1
The Rules of Lightning Blackjack
We’ve already covered the fundamentals of Lightning Blackjack. Let’s get a little more specific now. If you’ve played classic Blackjack before, you won’t be confused because the two games are nearly identical.
- The game is played with eight decks of 52 cards
- The game is hosted by a dealer
- Cards from 2 to 10 are worth their value
- 10s and heads are all worth 10
- Ace value is either 1 or 11, whichever is more favourable to the player
This game can be played by an infinite number of people at the same time. When the betting period is over, the dealer will deal a face-up card to each player. The dealer will then draw a face-up card for himself and another face-up card for the players. Finally, the dealer draws another card for himself, but this time it is face down.
The Lightning rules
To play at this table, you must pay a “flash fee.” It is worth the full amount of your initial bet. You will then have a chance to get a multiplier for your next hand. When you double or split your hand, your “flash bet” stays the same.
As soon as bets are closed, the Lightning multipliers appear. To qualify for this multiplier you must have won your previous hand with “17 or less”, 18, 19, 20, 21, or the famous blackjack. This is when these winning hands will come in and apply a multiplier of x2 to x25.
The Lightning multipliers appear as soon as bets are closed. To be eligible for this multiplier, you must have previously won a hand with “17 or less,” 18, 19, 20, 21, or the famous blackjack. When these winning hands come in, they will apply a multiplier of x2 to x25.
Have you just won your last hand but need to put the game down? Don’t worry, Evolution Gaming allows you to use your multiplier for your next round of play for up to 180 days.
Splitting and doubling your hand
When a hand is split, the multiplier is applied to the hand with the higher multiplier. In the event of a tie, you lose the “flash fee” and your multiplier, but your original bet is returned. If you use the “insurance,” you will lose the “lightning fee” (lightning fee) and your multiplier.
How the lightning multipliers work
Each game round, you must pay a Lightning Fee equal to 100% of your initial bet (think of it like a side bet that you win or lose).
When the betting period is over, a set of multipliers is assigned to each hand value for the game round and displayed behind the dealer.
Six multiplier ranges can be assigned to a game round at random, in the order of hand values 4-17, 18, 19, 20, 21, and BJ.
- 2x,2x,3x,4x,5x&6x.
- 2x,3x,4x,5x,6x&8x.
- 2x, 3x, 4x, 5x,8x & 12.
- 2x, 4x, 5x, 6x, 10x & 15x.
- 2x, 5x, 6x, 8x, 12x & 20x.
- 2x, 5x, 8x, 12x, 15x & 25x.The multiplier range you select will have an immediate impact on the strategy you should employ.If your hand beats the dealer’s, your main bet will be paid out at a ratio of 1:1 or 3:2 if it’s a blackjack. The multiplier corresponding to your winning hand value will then be assigned to you.The multiplier is carried forward to the next hand.
Winning With A Lightning Blackjack Multiplier
If you win a hand with an active multiplier (normally the next hand after receiving the multiplier), the main bet (up to the value of the previous lighting fee) will be multiplied. If the main bet exceeds the previous lighting fee, the remaining portion of the bet is paid out at the standard payout rates.
It appears complicated, but it isn’t.
Things you need to know before you play Lightning Blackjack
What you must understand is that the multiplier is only active on the next hand you play and will only be applied if you win that hand.
If you lose, you forfeit the lighting fee, the main bet, and the outstanding multiplier.
You don’t have to use a multiplier right away if you win one; you have up to 180 days to play the next hand. Some strategic thinking may be required to ensure that you use it at the appropriate time.
Return to Player (RTP)
At first glance, Lightning Blackjack’s Return to Player appears to be promising, with a published RTP of 99.56%.
However, if you look closely at the information, you’ll notice that this is for the first hand out of the shoe.
Subsequent hands must account for the lightning fee and multipliers. As a result, the RTP becomes variable and difficult to quantify after that point.
A more realistic house edge has been calculated to be 17.6%, resulting in an RTP of 82.4%, which is downright terrible.
How to Play Lightning Blackjack
If you’re new to online live blackjack, take a look at How to Play Live Blackjack. You’ll learn the fundamentals, which will save you time and money when it comes time to play Lightning Blackjack.
Here’s how to play Lightning Blackjack if you’re an experienced Blackjack player.
Betting on Lightning Blackjack
Lightning Blackjack starts with “Betting Time” when you “Place your Bets”. It’s open for 15 seconds.
- Choose the coin value for which you want to bet, then click or tap on the betting circle to place the bet.
- An additional “Lightning Fee” equal to the amount of your bet is automatically deducted.
- The total bet is the sum of the Main Bet and the Lightning Fee.
- H2 – Lightning Blackjack StrategyLet’s take a quick look at how Lightning Blackjack betting works so you can see how the lighting fee affects your bets.A lightning Fee of 100% of the amount of the main bet is charged at betting time. Let’s see what happens to the payouts for the various types of results.
- Option 1 – Dealer / Player Push. The main bet is returned to the player. Lightning Bet is taken.
- Option 2 – Dealer win. Main Bet and Lighting Fee is taken.
- Option 3 – Player Win. Main Bet gets paid at the multiplier rate (2x to 25x), The lightning feeis taken.This model shows that to make a profit, you must have two consecutive wins (one to generate the multiplier and the second to use the multiplier). To return a profit, the second win must have a multiplier of at least 4x. A 2x multiplier over two rounds results in a net loss, whereas a 3x multiplier results in a break-even.What Strategy Should you use on Lightning Blackjack?
Normally, when playing Blackjack, you would employ Blackjack Basic Strategy. This ensures that you play the hands optimally and that you have the best chance of making a profit on your investment.
However, the basic strategy is ineffective for Lightning Blackjack because two hands are required to reap the full benefit of the multipliers. Because the basic strategy does not account for this, it cannot be used for Lightning Blackjack. Evolution, on the other hand, has published a lightning blackjack strategy.
Is there a Good Betting Strategy for Lightning Blackjack?
Take a look at the options above – there isn’t much you can do to change the bets that will give you an advantage.
Increasing your bet for a round with a multiplier is counterproductive because it raises the Lightning Fee for that round. There will be no advantage gained because the payout will be for the value of the previous round’s lightning fee. If you lose, you will lose your bankroll faster.
You won’t get the full value of the multiplier if you reduce your bet on the game round with the multiplier, so it’s not worth it.
In either case, there is no benefit to changing your bet amounts between game rounds. So, play for fun and best wishes for your game!