Lightning Blackjack by Evolution Gaming is a stadium Blackjack game that incorporates multipliers that are carried over to the next hand. These multipliers can increase winnings from 2x to 25x. It's an exciting game where players are hoping to get consecutive victories to juice up the rewards and overcome the 100% Lightning Fee.
Blackjack is played using eight standard 52-card decks. The values of the cards are as follows:
Your goal is to have a hand value that is closer to 21 than the virtual dealer's hand, or to win if the dealer busts.
Here are some example combinations:
7♣ + 4♦ = 11, 5♣ + 10♠ = 15, K♥ + Q♣ = 20, A♣ + 5♥ = 6 or 16, and A♥ + 10♠ = BJ.
The best possible hand in the game is called Blackjack, which consists of an Ace paired with a 10, Jack, Queen, or King.
A hand that includes an Ace and any card valued between 2 and 9 is referred to as a “soft hand,” as the Ace can be counted as either 1 or 11. For example, A♣ + 5♥ can equal either 6 or 16.
In Blackjack, the suit of the cards does not affect gameplay for main bets.
If the dealer’s upcard is an Ace, you are given the option to purchase insurance to offset the risk that the dealer has Blackjack — even when you have Blackjack yourself. The amount of insurance is equal to one half of your main bet, and the insurance bet is settled separately from the bet on your hand. The dealer then peeks at the value of his/her downcard to check for Blackjack. If the dealer does not have Blackjack, the round continues. If the dealer has Blackjack, but you do not, the game is over and the dealer’s hand wins.
If you and the dealer both have Blackjack, the game ends in a push and your bet is returned.
If the dealer’s upcard is an Ace, he/she will check if the downcard is a Face card or 10 and the dealer has Blackjack. If the dealer has Blackjack, the dealer’s hand wins. If you and the dealer both have Blackjack, the game ends in a push and your bet is returned. If the dealer does not have Blackjack, the round continues.
A distinctive feature available in Lightning Blackjack is the ability to Double Down. Participants have the option to double their betting stake when holding any two initial cards. When doubled down, only a single extra card is drawn, and the decision must be made before any subsequent draws. Similarly, when the two initial cards have matching values, players have the option to Split, essentially forming two separate hands. Splitting Aces is also an available maneuver, although the opportunity to hit afterward on split Aces is not provided, challenging participants to navigate strategic choices within defined parameters.
The Dealer’s conduct is governed by strict rules. In Lightning Blackjack, the Dealer must draw until reaching a total of 16 and is required to stand on any combination that sums up to 17, including any soft hands. This ensures clarity in gameplay and provides a benchmark for players as they evaluate their own hand totals and decide on whether to hit or stand.
Your payout depends on the type of bet placed.
Multipliers that can be won:
The optimal strategy is based on you placing the same initial bet amount. If you increase your bet in a round where you have qualified, the multiplier will only apply up to the bet amount of the qualifying round. If you lower your bet in a round where you have qualified, the multiplier will only apply up to the new bet amount. The associated Return to Player (RTP) is 99.56% based on the first card being dealt from the shoe. This Return to Player will fluctuate through the 4 to 4.5 decks dealt from the 8 deck shoe.
The Bet Limits are from $1 to $2,500. However, it is more like $2 to $5,000 due to the 100% Lightning Fee that is mandatory.
For players looking for an edge beyond basic strategy, card counting can be an invaluable tool. While card counting does not guarantee wins, it provides additional insights into the remaining high and low cards left in the shoe, helping you make more informed betting and playing decisions. It’s important to understand that Lightning Blackjack is played with eight decks, and the deck penetration tends to be around 4 to 4½ decks used before a shuffle. This ratio plays a significant role in how effective card counting can be.
It’s also worth noting that casinos (or online platforms emulating the casino environment) have rules and monitoring to discourage card counting, but many players still study these strategies as an intellectual exercise, and some even use them to adjust bet sizes during favorable conditions.
Card counting is a skill-based system used to monitor the ratio of high cards to low cards remaining in a shoe. High cards—10s, face cards, and Aces—tend to favor the player, especially when it comes to hitting a natural blackjack, which pays out at 3:2. Conversely, low cards (2 through 6) benefit the dealer by increasing the likelihood of the dealer going bust. By tracking the distribution of these cards, a card counter can adjust their bet size and strategy accordingly.
Key points when card counting in Lightning Blackjack include:
• Timing and Penetration: With deck penetration at around 4 to 4½ decks in an 8-deck shoe, a significant portion of the cards remain unseen. This requires consistency and precision in counting, as the effectiveness of your count depends on when the remaining cards are favorable. It's not favorable deck penetration at all.
• Bet Sizing: When the count indicates a surplus of high cards, wagering may be a good idea. When the count indicates a surplus of low cards, wagering may not necessarily be a good idea. The count can impact the decisions you make as well when you actually play a hand.
In Lightning Blackjack, you can swoop in at any time and just start betting. No other players are in your way to getting a seat and your presence is not necessarily obvious just hanging around.
The Hi-Lo system is by far the most popular card counting method due to its simplicity and effectiveness. It assigns a value to each card to simplify tracking:
• Low Cards (2 – 6) Count as: +1
• Neutral Cards (7 – 9) Count as: 0
• High Cards (10, J, Q, K, A) Count as: –1
How it works:
– As each card is dealt, the counter adds the designated value to a running count. When the count is significantly positive, it signals that there is a higher proportion of high cards remaining in the deck. This situation is favorable because it increases the probability of hitting a blackjack or a strong hand.
– Once the running count is calculated, the count is usually converted to a “true count” by dividing by the number of decks remaining to be dealt. For instance, if your running count is +8 and there are 4 decks left, your true count is +2—a measure of how favorable the remaining cards are.
Advantages:
– Easy to learn and implement.
– Provides a good balance between accuracy and simplicity.
– Works effectively in an 8-deck game when used in conjunction with deck penetration awareness.
The KO system is similar to Hi-Lo but eliminates the need to convert to a true count, making it somewhat more straightforward in practice:
• Low Cards (2 – 7) Count as: +1
• High Cards (8 – Ace) Count as: 0 or differently in variant systems (often the 10s and face cards are counted as -1)
Key Features:
– The KO system is “unbalanced,” meaning that the sum of the values in a full deck is not zero. Because of this, card counters do not have to adjust the running count by dividing by the decks remaining, which simplifies the counting process considerably.
– It still alerts players to when the deck becomes rich in high cards, but with a system that might feel more intuitive for some players.
Advantages:
– Simpler calculation due to the absence of true count conversion.
– Allows some players to maintain a continuous count from one shoe to the next.
– Particularly effective when used with predetermined betting strategies.
Betting Guidelines: In an 8-deck shoe with typical 4 to 4½ deck penetration, a running count of +3 or higher is generally considered a good point to either enter the game or raise your bets. Using the KO system in these conditions, a running count of +3 implies that there is a slightly higher proportion of high cards left, which elevates the chance of receiving favorable hands. When the running count reaches +5 or more, it is advisable to raise your bets significantly (as long as you’re comfortable with variations in bankroll).
The Omega II system is more advanced and slightly more complex than the Hi-Lo or KO systems. It employs a multi-level approach with different values assigned to different cards:
• Cards are given values that are not confined to a simple +1 or –1. For example, low cards might be assigned a value of +1, while 4s and 5s might be counted as +2. High cards still carry negative values.
• The system is considered “balanced” (meaning the total sum of the card values in a full deck equates to zero), so it does require conversion to a true count, similar to the Hi-Lo system.
Advantages:
– Increased precision in counting, as it accounts for the differing effects that various low cards have on the outcome.
– Some players believe that the nuanced approach of the Omega II provides a more accurate reflection of the upcoming deck composition.
Disadvantages:
– More complex to learn and requires higher concentration and rapid mental calculation.
Betting Guidelines: With the Omega II system, the optimal time to increase your bets is when the true count reaches +2. In scenarios where the true count climbs to +3 or higher (after calculating with the 4 to 4½ decks penetration), the advantage becomes significant, and increasing your wager dramatically may help to capitalize on the favorable deck composition. Despite the system’s complexity, these absolute numbers can serve as an effective baseline.
Why you may not necessarily like Lightning Blackjack as a card-counter...
Why you may like Lightning Blackjack as a card-counter...