Carrom is an interesting game similar to Billiards or Table Shuffleboard. However, instead of pool cues, you use your fingers and a striker. The game can be played by either two people (singles) or four people (doubles). The game is also known by other names around the world, including carrom, couronne, carum, karam, karom, karum, and finger billiards.
1 Sit opposite from each other. The game is often played as singles with two opponents, although sometimes people play Carrom in teams. At any rate, teams or players should sit opposite from one another. You and your partner, or your team and your partner’s team, should take a seat at opposite ends of the board. You should each have your own rectangle from which to shoot your striker.
2 Practice gripping your striker. The striker is the heavier piece you use to hit your pieces into the pockets. If you’re new to the game, it’s a good idea to practice gripping and hitting the striker a few times before playing. Make sure you flick the striker instead of pushing it. You cannot move or leave your chair when using the striker, and you have to hit the striker from within the rectangular boundary on your end of the board. There are two main grips you can use to hit the striker: the straight grip and the scissors grip.
• The most commonly used grip is the straight grip. It may be easier to maneuver if you’re new to carrom. You hold your hand palm side down and rest your fingertips very lightly on the carrom board. You would hold your index finger just behind the piece and make your shot by flicking your finger. For added control, hold the striker between your thumb and third finger to position it before flicking it.
• The scissors shot is less commonly used, but you may find it more comfortable. You would place your hand sideways on the board, so your ring and pinky finger are pressed on the board. You would then hold your middle finger backwards with your index finger, so these two fingers are at a roughly perpendicular angle with your pinky and ring finger. It looks somewhat like a pair of scissors. A shot is made by releasing your middle finger, causing it to snap forward and hit the striker.
3 Determine who goes first and have that player break the circle. Usually, a coin flip is used to determine who goes first, but there are no strict rules. If you’d rather not do a coin flip, you can follow rules of other board games, such as “the oldest player goes first” or “the tallest player goes first.” Once you’ve determined who goes first, that player has to break the circle in the middle by taking the first shot with his or her striker.[8]
• It’s unlikely any player will get a piece in the pocket on the first shot. In the event this occurs, however, that player will continue to take turns until he or she fails to pocket a piece.
• You must always return your striker to your rectangle before taking a new shot.
4 Take turns until you determine who pockets which colors. You do not go into a game of carrom knowing whose pieces are black and whose are white. This is determined in play. The first player to pocket a piece must pocket pieces in that color for the rest of the game.
• The object of carrom is to get all your pieces pocketed before you opponent does. You should also aim to pocket the red piece, sometimes referred to as the queen.
• The red piece, or queen, can only be pocketed after you’ve pocketed a piece of your color.