In carrom, two or four players flick a striker to knock their own coins (white or black) into the four corner pockets. You must pocket the red queen and then "cover" it with one of your coins on the next shot. The first player to clear all their coins wins the board.
What do you need to play carrom?
A carrom set has a square board with four corner pockets, 9 white coins, 9 black coins, 1 red queen, and a heavier disc called the striker. At the start, the queen sits in the center and the other coins form a circle around it.
Content image 1 prompt: Clean flat illustration of a carrom board from above with labels pointing to the pockets, baseline, center circle, white coins, black coins, red queen and striker, minimal modern style, light background, no text inside the board itself.
How to play carrom step by step
- Choose who starts. The player who breaks first usually plays white.
- Place the striker on your baseline, the two parallel lines in front of you.
- Flick the striker with your finger. Pushing the striker is not allowed.
- Pocket your own coins. If you pocket one of your coins, you get another turn.
- Your turn ends when you pocket nothing, or pocket only your opponent's coin.
- Win the board by pocketing all your coins and the queen (with cover).
What is the queen rule in carrom?
The red queen is the most valuable coin. In standard rules you can pocket it only after you have pocketed at least one of your own coins. Then you must cover it by pocketing one of your own coins on the very next shot. If you fail to cover, the queen goes back to the center.
Carrom foul rules
- Striker goes into a pocket: you lose your turn and one of your pocketed coins returns to the center as a penalty.
- Striker or coin leaves the board: coins are placed back in the center.
- Touching coins with your hand during play is a foul.
- Pocketing your last coin before the queen is a foul in most rule sets.
How does carrom scoring work?
The winner of a board scores 1 point for each coin the opponent still has on the board. If the winner covered the queen, they usually get 3 extra points. Under official tournament rules, a full game is played to 25 points or 8 boards.
Content image 2 prompt: Close-up of a hand flicking a wooden striker toward a black coin near a corner pocket of a carrom board, motion blur on the striker, warm indoor light, realistic photo style, no text.
5 carrom tips for beginners
- Aim for easy coins first near the pockets to keep your turn going.
- Use rebounds. Bounce the striker off the board edge to reach coins behind others.
- Plan the queen early. Leave one of your coins near a pocket so the cover shot is easy.
- Control your power. A softer shot gives better accuracy than a hard smash.
- Break with purpose. On the first shot, hit the circle firmly to spread the coins.
Can you play carrom online for free?
Yes. You can play Carrom on Unique100 directly in your browser on phone, tablet or computer, with no download and no sign-up. It is a great way to practice aim and angles before playing on a real board.
Frequently asked questions
1. How many coins are in carrom?
- There are 19 coins: 9 white, 9 black and 1 red queen, plus the striker.
2. Who plays first in carrom?
- The player who wins the toss breaks first and usually plays white.
3. What happens if you pocket the striker?
- It is a foul. You lose your turn and return one pocketed coin to the board.
4. Can you pocket the queen first?
- In standard rules, no. You must pocket at least one of your own coins before the queen.
5. Is carrom a game of skill or luck?
- Mostly skill. Aim, angle and power control decide most games.