Lightning Blackjack Live from Evolution

Lightning Blackjack is the latest game in Evolution’s Lightning series, joining the likes of Lightning Baccarat and Lightning Roulette.

These are all games with random multipliers added to the mix to afford the opportunity for supersized payouts.

Lightning Blackjack isn’t the first live blackjack table we’ve seen with random payout multipliers added. Playtech’s Quantum Blackjack has been taking bets for almost 2 years now. But Evolution’s version takes a different approach to coming up with the multipliers and applying them.

In Quantum Blackjack, multipliers come into play when randomly selected cards (with assigned multipliers) are dealt to the player hand. It’s a completely different approach with Lightning Blackjack, giving players a choice as to how they prefer their payout multipliers to be served up.

What is Lightning Blackjack?

The game is dealt in ‘1 to many’ format, ala Infinite Blackjack. The main game is blackjack with essentially the same house rules as Evolution’s regular 7 seat tables. Namely…

• Dealt from 8 deck shoe
• Blackjack pays 3 to 2
• Dealer stands all 17’s
• You can Double Down on any 2 initial cards
• Dealer checks for Blackjack on Ace
• You can Split initial cards of equal value
• Only one Split per hand.
• You can Split Aces (draw 1 card only to Aces)
• No Double Down after Split
• Insurance is offered when the dealer shows an Ace

A couple of key Lightning Rules are then added to the mix.

Lightning Rules: Multipliers and Lightning fee

The first hand you play will seem no different to a regular game of blackjack.

Although you may notice that your TOTAL BET (indicated bottom left) is twice value of the chip placed.

This is the mandatory Lightning Fee – equal to 100% of your bet, being deducted. The Lightning Fee effectively becomes your bet for the next deal to which a multiplier will be applied, should one be earned.

Which takes us to the next thing you may have noticed.  After you place your bet, random multipliers pop up behind the dealer. Different win types (ie winning player hand value) are assigned different multipliers. These can vary each deal. The top possible payout multiple (for BJ) is 25x.

Had the player hand drawn Blackjack, in addition to a 3:2 payout this round, a win next round would earn a payout of 15x.

As it turned out a win with 13 (4-17), earned a 2x multiplier which will be applied to a win in the next bet round. Irrespective of the amount bet in the next bet round, the multiplier is applied to the Lightning Fee from the previous round.

Increasing your bet to take advantage of a multiplier?

Unfortunately this can’t be done.

Take the below example, where a winning hand win earns a 2x multiplier on a €1 bet (and €1 Lightning Fee).

The following round, the bet has been upped to €2. But only €1 can be multiplied. The amount above the Lightning Fee will have normal payouts apply should the hand win.

Through the course of the deal, your bet components remain separated.

And the win, shown below produces a €3 on the 2x multiplied chip (2x Lightning Fee, plus bet back) and €2 (ie standard even money payout) on the remaining bet.

And with a win on 20, the next round’s winning multiple is 4x (applied to €2 Lightning Fee from above round).

Leaving the table after a win

Given any multiplier you earn from a win always applies next round, what happens if you end your session with a winning hand?

The multiplier and Lightning Fee carry to next time you open the game (at the same casino). You simply continue where you left off. But after 180 days it lapses and is lost.

Theoretical return

This game promises a very slim house edge. Of course being blackjack you’ll need to play optimally to take advantage of this.

The published RTP is 99.56%.

Full House Rules

May be read here.

Lightning Blackjack Video

Where to play Lightning Blackjack

Take your pick of any live casino carrying Evolution games. The above rounds were played at Leo Vegas.