Carrom is a tabletop game played between two – four players at a time, it has been one of the best indoor games for a while. The game is often played when there is a social gathering with friends or family. The game of carrom also has variants, mainly doubles and singles. The doubles is a game where two players partner up against the opposition pairing. In singles, two opponents facing each other battle it out to win the game.
Elements in the Game of Carrom
1. Carrom Board
The board of carrom is made of plywood and has four netted pockets, the board also has a designated line and section in which the players can slide and position their striker position. The playing surface is hard and therefore the use of talcum is a common practice while playing the game to make the board surface smooth.
2. Carrom Coins
The game of carrom has two sets of colored coins, black and white. There is one red coin, the important one, the queen. In total, there are nine black and nine white coins on the board. These coins are made of wood and therefore make for a good combination with the striker. It has to be noted that all the coins are of the same shape so that they can be pocketed in the designated nets across the board.
3. Carrom Points
The points system of the Carrom board game depends on the variant you are playing. There might be tweaks in an online carrom game when compared to a classic carrom game. In the classic game of carrom, you get one point for pocketing your respective coloured coin, and the queen backed by cover gets you additional 5 points. Once again this points system can vary depending on the platform you are playing the game.
Also Read: Tips To win Online Carrom Game
Basic Rules You Should Know About Carrom Game
1. Breaking
The game of carrom starts with breaking, here the player who wins the toss gets to strike first. The player who is breaking is known as the breaker. Often the breaker aims to pocket the white coin, if the player successfully pockets a white coin with the break, their turn continues. Thus white become their designated coin while the opposition is tasked to pocket the black coins.
2. Turns
As mentioned above the game starts with breaking as the sequence of turns begins. The breaker if pockets the coin, continues their turn, if they fail to do so, the turn is then passed on to the next players. Similarly, whenever a player pockets a coin the turn will continue until they fail to do so. In a doubles game, a turn passes in an anti-clockwise direction from right to left.
3. Fouls
There is a list of dont’s while playing the game, some of the basic and necessary ones are mentioned below:
* If the player pockets the striker, it is termed as a foul and the turn is passed onto the next player.
* It is a foul if you pocket the opponent’s piece, note that a pocketed coin does not return on the table.
* If the player pockets the coin and the striker at the same time is termed as foul, the netted coin is put back on the table.
*If the player manages to net the striker in the net instead of the coin it is deemed as a foul.
* The player cannot incorrectly place the striker on the board while striking the coins.
* The player cannot pocket their final coin before pocketing the queen backed by a cover.
* If the coin bounces off the board, the same coin is placed in the middle of the carrom board.
* The player cannot intentionally hit the opposition’s coin when in a scenario of both players needing to pocket their last respective coin.
Now that you have a basic understanding of how the game of carrom is played, let us shed light on some of the important tips that will help you win the game.
Learn: How to Download Carrom Game
1. Avoid Fouls
Fouls are not a good thing in any game let alone in a game of carrom. Not only it is a missed opportunity but it does provide your opponent with an advantage. Given the nature of the game of carrom, fouls can’t be avoided easily but you can be careful in your gameplay, this will certainly bring down your fouls and thus increase your potential as a player.
2. Practice the Tricks Shots
If there is one thing that will help you clinch clutch carrom games are the trick shots. Often while playing the game, the players look for a clear line of sight for striking the coin with the striker. However, this won’t be the case always as coins would be scattered around the board and you will need something special to net the coins. Tricks shots like rebond, the third pocket, double, center cut, and thumb shot are some of the most common trick shots, master these shots and you will have an upper hand in competitive games.
3. Conquer the Queen
This is no trick but a golden rule, always secure the queen and cover in the game of Carrom. The queen provides you with a significant bump in the number of points earned. In a classic carrom game, the importance of the queen is very high, you will get an extra 5 points awarded if you secure the queen. It is important to note that, just by netting the queen you do not secure it, the player has to net a coin on the back of the netting queen. Only by netting the cover coin, the queen will be secured, in case of failure, the queen is sent back to the table.
Understand that the game of carrom as easy as it might seem takes a lot of practice and patience to endure. Also, the game requires the players to have a composed mind, strategic planning, and the ability to improvise. All the above-mentioned tips and details of the game will indeed help you become a better carrom player, so redefine your gaming mojo and start your journey as the carrom champion.
Also Read: Top 5 Fascinating Variations of Carrom Board Games-2023
