A guide to Evolution’s Lightning Blackjack

For quite some time now, casino players have been able to enjoy all that Evolution’s Lightning Roulette has to offer. The great news is that, at the backend of 2021, Evolution added a blackjack version. Evolution Lightning Blackjack has already proven to be a hit, and if you’ve not yet come across it then, the reality is that you’re missing out. 

Those who enjoy live dealer casino games will no doubt already be fans of Evolution Gaming. This developer is at the fore when it comes to live games. The difference between Evolution and other developers is that live games are all that it does. Placing its entire focus on the live experience has meant that it has become the very best at what it does.

Something that really adds to the experience offered by Evolution, is the quality of its studios. With purpose-built studios in Latvia, Malta, and now Canada, the atmosphere, and the quality of the live streams, are second to none.

When it comes to Lighting Blackjack, this is a game that is 100% unique. That’s why, if you’ve never played before, you need to read on. We’re going to cover the details of the game, and also share some strategy tips.

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How does Evolution Lightning blackjack work?

Starting at the beginning, to play Evolution’s Lightning Blackjack, you’ll need to put up your stake, just as you would with every other version of blackjack. The thing with Lightning Blackjack though is that every time you place a bet, you’re charged a Lightning fee. This fee is 100% of your stake so you’re effectively paying double every time that you bet. From the funds that you put in, half of it is used to calculate payouts for if you win. The rest of the money covers the costs of the multiplier mechanics.

Now being honest, what we’ve had to say so far doesn’t sound very appealing. It basically means that a simple blackjack win leaves you at 0, with not a profit in sight. However, if you bear with us, you’ll see how this all works out.

After you’ve placed your stake, the game goes on in much the same way as a typical game of live blackjack would. The game follows the standard rules of blackjack. This means that the dealer stands on a soft 17 and that you’re allowed to double and split. However, all of these factors can affect the multipliers.

When you win, this is when the multiplier mechanic is triggered. By the time you’ve reached this point, you still haven’t won any money. The only exceptions are if you’ve won with a blackjack, or you spilt or double during play. These multipliers are where Lightning Blackjack begin to get a little interesting.

When you win, a multiplier is applied to any winnings in the following round. The start of each round sees random multipliers being applied to different hands. They can range from 2x up to 25x. It could be that you win with 18, in which case you may be rewarded with a 4x multiplier. Perhaps you win with 20 and find yourself with 8x. You will find the multipliers will vary each round, and that they’re always random. However, you’ll find that the stronger your winning hand is, the bigger the multiplier you’re rewarded with.

A look at the multiplier rules

Hopefully, you can see that, with the inclusion of multipliers, Lightning Blackjack gets quite exciting, and the winning potential is enough to spark more than just a little interest. However, there are some important points to be aware of when it comes to these multipliers.

Firstly, if you’ve secured a multiplier, but you then go on to increase your stake between rounds, the payout will be multiplied up to the amount that it was when you got it – not your new stake level. An easy example would look like this:

  • You bet $10 on the first round and go on and win
  • The win secures you a 4x multiplier 
  • You increase your stake to $20 and then go into the next round
  • If you win, your payout is $60 – this is made up of $10×4 for the multiplier with $10×2 for the additional part of the stake that wasn’t multiplied
  • That additional stake receives a 1:1 blackjack payout

When you take a look at doubling, it works in a similar way. When you call double, it is just the initial stake that qualifies for multipliers. The rest of the stake will just have standard blackjack rules apply. 

If you decide to split, just one hand will receive multipliers and it will always be the stronger hand. The only time that this doesn’t apply is if you decrease your stake. If you do that, the new lower stake is subjected to the multiplier and that’s something that you want to avoid.

Are there any Evolution Lightning Blackjack strategies?

One of the really attractive elements of Lighting Blackjack is that it doesn’t come along and take away all that you know and love about the standard game. Three key rules to be aware of are that you can’t surrender, you can only split once, and you can’t double after a split. Not the most player friends rules, but the RTP is still an attractive 99.59%.

So, with that being said, it’s worth saying that you can still reply on basic strategy while playing Evolution’s Lightning Blackjack at live casinos. As long as you have a chart on hand, you don’t even need to commit the strategy to memory.

The big change that Lightning Blackjack brings has no effect on strategy at all: it’s all about the payment structure. Basically, you need to win 2 or more consecutive rounds if you want to be taking money from the table.

Lightning Blackjack also has the option to take out bet insurance. The truth is, whether, in Lightning blackjack, or any other version of the game, bet insurance is a lousy option and one to avoid. 

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Evolution Lightning Blackjack