How to Play Carrom: Common Terms, Rules, and Tips to Win the Game

We all have grown up playing carrom with our friends and family members. This game has been etched in our hearts, as it is one of the most fun and popular indoor games and completes entertainment for people of all age groups. 

In today's world, carrom is no longer limited to board games and is available online at Frolic as Carrom Boss. Now the question is how to play carrom? Relax! We have got you covered. Here is all you need to know about the carrom game, carrom rules,  and how to play carrom offline and online. 

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All About Carrom Game

Carrom board game, also known as Karrom is one of the most popularly played games in the Middle East and the areas nearby. It involves a table board, and small pieces called carrom coins that are used to play this game. 

Carrom is a classic indoor game that can be played with 2 to 4 people. The players need to pot all the pucks before their opponents to win the game. This game is usually described as a fantastic combination of Pool, Marbles, and Air Hockey. It is loaded with twists and turns and requires splendid strategies and high accuracy. That's not it. The players need to be highly accurate about angles to ensure their win. 

In the carrom board game, the players have to drive the carrom men into the pockets using the striker. The main objective is to pocket all the carrom men and the Queen before the opponents. Both offline and online carrom requires a better understanding of the sitting arrangement around the board.

Continue reading to know more about online carrom games. There are different real money gaming apps featuring online carrom games, and you can win exciting prizes here while having fun. 

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Are You Aware of these Common Terms Used in Carrom?

The carrom board game is not only a game for fun and timepass anymore. People have started monetizing their fun time by playing carrom online for amazing prices. In this regard, online carrom at Frolic is one of the best options. 

The carrom board game is not only a game for fun and time pass anymore. People have started monetizing their fun time by playing carrom online for amazing prices. In this regard, online carrom at Frolic is one of the best options. 

However, before you start with how to play carrom, it is important to understand all the terms used in carrom for a better experience. These terms are similar for both online and offline carrom games.

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Queen: It is a red-colored puck, which is placed at the center of the carrom board when the game starts. 

Foul: When a player makes a wrong strike, it is considered a foul. The players have to miss one turn and pay plenty of one carrom coin in case of foul. 

Push: When a player makes a sudden jerk to the board while playing, it is called a push. It is considered a foul in the game.

Break: The first strike made during the game is known as a break. 

Penalty: When a player violates the laws of the game, it is considered a penalty. It is different from foul. 

Due: It is a penalty term. When players commit a foul, they have to place their coins at the center of the board, and it is known as due. 

Covering: When a player pockets a carrom coin in order to cover for the Queen, it is known as covering. 

Black Slam: It means pockets all the black carrom coins without or with the Queen in the first strike. 

White Slam: It refers to pocketing all the white carrom coins without or with Queen in a single term or strike. 

Thumbing: A good strike played using the thumb is considered thumbing. 

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How to Play Carrom? 

Carrom board is a tabletop game and was originated from India. The game has become peoples’ favorite over time. At present, there are ample clubs that organize carrom game competitions and tournaments. Now that you are aware of carrom terms, let’s check out how to play carrom. 

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Objective in Carrom Game

The main objective of carrom is to strike all the carrom coins using the striker and put them into the four corners pockets present on the board. The person who pockets a maximum number of coins and the Queen wins the game.  

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Carrom Rules to Set Up Your Carrom Board

In order to play the carrom game adequate, you need to set the board right following the below-mentioned instructions: 

• Begin with dusting the board using carrom powder.
• Place the Queen exactly in the center of the circle present in the middle of the carrom board. 
• Place all the carrom coins around the Queen, and alternate them into light and dark pieces in a circle. 
• Hand the striker to the player who will go first. 

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How to Break in Carrom Board Game

Breaking in the carrom board game refers to the first shot played in the game. The aim here is to disperse the carrom coin somewhere around the board but away from the queen. 

You need to take the breaking shot by flicking the striker exactly from between the baselines. It should touch the rectangular lines but not the diagonal ones. During the break shot, if the players fail to shot the striker in a way that it leaves the baselines, then they can try up to 3 times, before passing the turn to the next player.

If a player is successful in potting a coin in the break, they can take another shot and play for the same color. Whenever a player pots a coin, they get another shot. 

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Carrom Rules for Carrom Coins/Men

When it comes to potting carrom coins, you need to follow the below-mentioned rules:

• Players can directly hit the carrom coins that are not touching the zone behind the baseline or not touching the baseline of a player. 

• Players can hit the coins that are in front of the baseline or touch it with the striker that has rebounded off the carom board’s side or another piece of carrom. 

• If you pot the last piece before potting the queen, you have to pay the penalty. 

• If a player knocks a carrom piece off the board, it should be returned to the center. 

• In case there are overlapping carrom pieces, they should be left as it is. 

• If a player mistakenly pots the opponent’s color coin, they lose their turn.

• If a player mistakenly pots the last piece of the opponent’s color coin, three-point are deducted from their score and they also lose the board. 

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Covering the Queen

The most important part of understanding how to play carrom is to learn, how to cover the Queen. 

• In order to pocket as well as cover the queen, the player needs to pocket the coin of their color first, and then in the subsequent go, they can pocket the queen. 

• If the player pockets the queen in the first turn, they need to return it to the center of the carrom, board. 

• When a player pockets and covers the queen correctly, the board is won by the player who pots all their coins. 

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Fouls in Carrom 

Another essential part to understand is the fouls, as they play a crucial role in carrom rules. The below-mentioned actions are classified as fouls: 

• Carrom coin leaves the board

• The Player pockets the striker

• If a player mistakenly pockets any piece of the opponent

• If any player pockets the final piece before covering the queen

• If a player is not successful in breaking the striker on three attempts

• If any player fails to position the striker correctly before taking a shot

• If a player’s arm mistakenly crosses the diagonal foul line present on the carrom board

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Scoring in Carrom Board Game 

Here are the carrom rules for scoring: 

• When the carrom game ends all the points are added, and the player with the highest score wins the game. 

• Each carrom coin holds one point. 

• The player who wins the board gets an additional point for all the pieces of their opponent left on the board. 

• The player who covers the queen successfully gets additional 5 points. 

• Games in carrom are played up to a total of 29 points.

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How to Play Carrom Online Like a PRO? 

Online carrom game is similar to the traditional carrom board game with a few twists and turns. The game can be played in freestyle or professional mode. Almost all the rules in online carrom are the same as offline, and it allows you to connect with other players across the globe. That's not it. You can win exciting prizes by playing carrom online. Check out all the play and win cash games by Frolic here.

Rules of online carrom are similar to that of an offline carrom board game. In order to win the game, the players have to pocket all the coins of their chosen color before others. However, players can not win the game until they "cover the Queen."

In order to cover the Queen, players need to pocket one of their pieces immediately after they pocket the Queen. In case any player pockets the Queen but is not successful in pocketing another coin, they will have to keep the Queen back on the board. Most of the players try to pocket the Queen because the person who is successful in doing it wins the game. 

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Basic Rules for Carrom Online

• It does not matter which piece the players strike first, and it doesn't matter whether they hit any piece or not; if they strike Queen first and cover it, they get another strike. 

• In case the striker commits a foul or pockets no pieces, the turn finishes. 

• The player who wins the toss plays first. 

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Covering the Queen in Carrom Online

• Players need to pocket and cover the Queen if they have already pocketed at least one piece of their chosen color. 

• If any player is unsuccessful in covering the Queen, they have to return the Queen.

• If any player covers the Queen and one of her pieces at the same time, then they are successful and do not have to return it. 

• If a player covers the Queen without being permitted to do so, they have to return the Queen and continue the game. 

Other Rules

• Pieces that are returned to the center should be placed within the circle. 

• In case the striker is in the position to rest under another piece, the striker should be removed from the carrom board with as little disturbance as possible. 

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Fouls in Carrom Online

When players commit a foul, their turn ends immediately, and they have to pay the penalty. In a penalty, the players have to return one pocketed piece to the board within the main circle. If any other pieces are needed to be returned, they are also placed at the center of the circle. The pieces are positioned at the center to confer an advantage for the opponent. 

A foul is considered in the below-mentioned situations:

• The player pockets the striker. 

• If a player pockets any piece of the opponent, then it is foul. In case the Queen has been covered, the player will have to return the opponent's piece as well as the penalty piece. In case the player has pocketed any other pieces, it remains the same. 

• It is foul if a player pockets the final piece of the opponent. Whether or not the Queen has been pocketed, the opponent's piece has to be returned to the center together with the penalty piece.

• If a player pockets the final piece before covering the Queen, then it is also foul. In this case, the player has to return both the pocketed piece and the penalty piece to the center. 

• It is foul if a player breaks the law by striking. 

In case a penalty occurs, and the player has no piece to return, the penalty is "owed" to the player until a piece becomes available. As soon as a piece is available, the player has to pay the penalty. In case the opponent forgets about the penalty, it is lost. 

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Scoring in Carrom Online

Here are the rules of scoring in the online carrom board game to help you better understand how to play carrom online. 

• When the game ends, the winner has to score 1 point for each opponent's piece left on the carrom board. If the winner successfully covers the Queen, a bonus of 5 points is credited. Therefore, the maximum score for a game is 14 points. 

• A match is played up to 29 points. In case the score of a player reaches 24 or more points, then the players do not get extra 5 points for covering the Queen.  

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Carrom Rules for Doubles 

Now that you know almost all the rules on how to play carrom online, let's have a look at the rules for Doubles. 

It doesn't matter whether the striker hits any pieces or not. Moreover, it also does not matter which carrom coin the striker hits first. 

• In case the player pockets the Queen and one more coin of the same color, the player gets another strike.

• If the player commits a foul or pockets no piece, the turn comes to an end. 

• Players are allowed to pocket the Queen and cover it only if the player has already pocketed at least one piece of the chosen color. 

• If a player pockets the Queen before getting permission to cover it, the turn continues, and the Queen is returned to the center at the end. 

• In case players cover the Queen but fail to cover it, the Queen is returned to the center of the carrom board. 

• If players successfully pocket the Queen and cover it, then it counts. Here the player should have already pocketed at least one coin to cover the Queen. 

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Final Words

Carrom is one of the best indoor games to play with your friends and family. You do not need a carrom board anymore to play it; you can play it anywhere and anytime on your mobile. All you need to do is Download Frolic and you can play Carrom Boss, the best online carrom game. 

Here you can win exciting cash prizes just by playing carrom. That's not it. You can also create tournaments and invite your friends. Now that you know how to play carrom online, what are you waiting for? Download Frolic right now and let the fun begin.