Top 5 Most Played Evolution Baccarat Games
The top 5 most played Baccarat games from Evolution Gaming are below. You’re going to notice that a range of different player styles are covered, from the very simple to the fastest variants around. If you want a quick introduction to the world of Baccarat, you might as well get started playing the most popular variants.
Speed Baccarat
Introduced by Evolution in 2018, their version of Speed Baccarat with real dealers makes the game as streamlined as possible, so more rounds can be crammed into each hour. Rather than taking your time and enjoying the action and the interactions with the dealer, this version is faster and it gives you more opportunities to play.
A round of Speed Baccarat is going to require about 27 seconds, on average. A regular game of Baccarat needs 48 seconds, so they almost cut in half that time. The way they manage this is by cutting every extra second that they can, from dealing the cards with the face up to giving you less time to see the results.
The reason why Speed Baccarat is likely the most popular version of this game is the fact that those playing it are experienced, and don’t require the full experience. Someone who has played through thousands of rounds of Baccarat already will likely prefer a faster game.
As with any other version of this game, you have to place a bet on Player, Banker, or Tie (8:1).
Lightning Baccarat
While speed may be more important to some players, others may prefer higher volatility, provided that it comes with much bigger potential prizes. That’s what Lightning Baccarat is popular for. This version has been around since 2020, and through it, Evolution Gaming introduced the Lightning multipliers and used them to make the payouts of Baccarat much more impressive.
The use of these Lightning multipliers adds an RNG element to the game of Baccarat, which may not be appreciated by everyone. Since it’s one of the most popular variants of the game, I’d say that the majority do enjoy it.
As a round of Lightning Baccarat starts, there will be 1 to 5 Lightning Cards selected from the 52 cards that are available in a deck. The cards that are selected will gain multipliers, which will be either 2x, 3x, 4x, 5x, or 8x. It’s even possible to get the same card multiple times, and in that case, the multipliers multiply with each other (a 5x and an 8x deliver a 40x total).
The cards that became Lightning versions need to be part of the winning hand to boost the prize that you get. Players have to bet on the winning hand, or they don’t get the prize. Speaking of bets, there is an additional bet worth 20%, which activates the Lightning mechanic.
Golden Wealth Baccarat
The Asian influence is much more visible in Golden Wealth Baccarat than in the Lightning version we previously discussed. There are dragons and gold coins in its design, and the predominant color is a dark red that should be familiar to those who have played Asian games before. It was released by Evolution Gaming in 2021. It has an RTP of 98.85%, and much of its style comes from the same type of multipliers that we saw in the Lightning version.
You’re going to place a bet on one of the two sides, Player or Banker, or a tie (5:1 pay). There are also side bets that can be used, along with an extra Golden Fee, which is used to pay for the multipliers (20% extra). The game uses 8 decks, and you are trying to get to 9 points to win (or as close as possible).
The game will select five cards for each round, using them to bring multipliers of 2x to 8x (four possible values in that range). When combined, the multipliers can end up being massive, up to 262,144x when applying to Tie results, and up to 512x for Player and Banker wins.
Prosperity Tree Baccarat
Evolution Gaming has one other version of Baccarat that features a similar Asian-style design. That would be Prosperity Tree Baccarat, another game where they introduce multipliers and give the player a chance to claim a bigger win than they would be able to in the original game.
They’ve put a lot of effort into the design of the studio and the table where Prosperity Tree Baccarat will be played. The table is in the middle, and a live dealer is going to be sitting at it. Behind the dealer, you can see the Prosperity Tree and lanterns placed on both sides of the room.
This is one of the newer versions of Baccarat, being released in late 2023. It comes with a 98.89% RTP.
This version is played with 52 cards, and the aim is to first get as close as possible to 9 points to win. The special part is when the game picks 8 cards and gives them 2x or 3x multipliers. If you wagered on the winning hand, and it contains cards with multipliers, then the total win will be boosted by that amount.
The multipliers being used go up to 27x when three multiplier cards are involved and up to 3,645x when it’s a Tie.
Dragon Tiger
Besides all the popular versions of Baccarat that I’ve mentioned above, some games change more about how they’re played. A relative to Baccarat, quite popular in its own right, is Dragon Tiger. You will find it in the same category as regular Baccarat variants.
If you thought that Baccarat was simple, then Dragon Tiger will amaze you with its simplicity. Only two cards are being used, and all you need to do is guess which of the two sides will have the bigger card. The two sides are the Dragon and the Tiger. The card values go from the Ace (low) to the King (highest).
The main reason why Dragon Tiger is so popular is not because of its amazing prizes. On the contrary, the rewards are limited compared to some of the other Baccarat variants we discussed. You get paid 1:1 for a winning hand, 11:1 for a Tie, and 50:1 for a Suited Tie bet. The advantage of Dragon Tiger comes from its extreme simplicity, and from its speed (25 seconds per round). Its RTP is at 96.72% if you go with the winning hand bet only. It goes lower for Tie and Suited Tie bets.
Other Baccarat Tables
While the games I’ve mentioned above have the highest player base, they’re not always the ones to pay the most. You can go for a version of XXXtreme Lightning Baccarat for that. The rules can change, multipliers can be added for bigger prizes, the bet size varies, and the rounds can be automated for faster results. Depending on what each player wants, he can choose a different Evolution version of Baccarat.
Below I’m going to mention just a couple of variants that are available from this company:
- XXXtreme Lightning Baccarat: The multipliers take things to the next level in this version. There is an additional Lightning Round that can bring up to 10x multipliers. Get three such cards, and the total multiplier reaches 1,000x (10x10x10). If it’s a Tie, then six cards can be part of the win, and the multiplier goes up to a jaw-dropping 2,850,000x.
- Peek Baccarat: while most of the rules are the same, the Peek version does just what it suggests. You pay a bit extra when you’re placing your bet, and you get a peek at 1-4 cards. Knowing where the odds lie, you can then place an additional bet on the round, doubling or tripling the amount selected for the side you started with.
Conclusion
One of the world’s most popular casino games, particularly in Asia, Baccarat has many fans all over the world. One of its variants was even played by James Bond in movies. Easy to learn and play, with fast rounds, it was already a very good option for beginners and advanced players alike. The presence of all these variants adds something extra to that experience.
