How to play Lightning Baccarat
If you want to be successful at playing Lightning Baccarat, you’ll first need to understand the basic rules of baccarat. Fortunately, it’s a very simple game to learn.
The game begins with the player (you) and the banker (dealer) each receiving two cards. The aim of the game is to predict whose hand will be closest to nine. You can also bet on a tie, which pays out more, but is less likely to happen.
Cards two to nine are worth their face value, while 10s and face cards are worth zero points, and an ace is worth one point. The most straightforward outcome of baccarat is that the higher hand value will win.
However, if the value is more than 10, only the last digit counts. For example, if the hand adds up to 15, its value is five. If either card has a value of eight or nine, this is called a “natural” and no more cards are drawn. Finally, if neither card has a natural and the value is less than eight, the “third-card rule” applies, which means the player and the banker can draw another card.
The only exception to this is if the banker already has an eight or nine, in which case they win outright – which is why the banker’s hand always has the slight advantage.
What distinguishes Lightning Baccarat from the standard version of the game is the multiplier, which is applied to up to five cards that are randomly selected. The multiplier will be 2x, 3x, 4x, 5x, or 8x your stake.
Here's a quick step-by-step guide on how to play Lightning Baccarat at a live casino:
- Once you’ve signed up and logged into your chosen online casino, head to its live casino section and select Lightning Baccarat.
- To play, you must place your bets before each round. You must also pay a 20% fee on your stake, which gives you access to the multiplier feature.
- After all bets are closed, the Lightning Round begins. One to five cards are randomly selected and assigned a multiplier value that can be 2x, 3x, 4x, 5x, or 8x.
- Once the Lightning Round is over, the dealer will then draw two cards for themselves (the banker) and you (the player).
- If you’re dealt one of the multiplier cards in your winning hand, then your payout will be multiplied by the assigned value.
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