Game: Carrom

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Dubbelnisse — 2008-11-06T22:17:48+00:00

Late evening game by the light of a street lamp. Poonjery, Tamil Nadu, India.

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trioker — 2008-09-29T22:19:11+00:00

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melchett — 2008-09-14T21:43:22+00:00

nepali playing Carrom at 4800m altitude (Muktinah)

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GeoMan — 2008-09-13T17:45:07+00:00

My Surco Bulldog board

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GeoMan — 2008-09-13T17:44:13+00:00

15g striker and rosewood pieces

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GeoMan — 2008-09-13T17:39:24+00:00

Close up

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klema — 2008-09-03T10:54:38+00:00

Carrom at work and at home

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yakos — 2008-06-16T13:55:23+00:00

Carrom tournament at "Pionek VII" in Gliwice, Poland (June 7-8, 2008)

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klema — 2008-06-02T11:47:26+00:00

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klema — 2008-06-02T11:46:52+00:00

Thread: Re: How do YOU play Carrom?

clearclaw — 2008-05-12T01:33:25+00:00

Amateur game: Breaking player is white and has the rose setup so that a line of two white coins points directly at the pocket. The queen may be potted at any time but must be covered, otherwise it comes back out Sinking the striker brings a piece out. Sinking the striker and your own piece brigs two out. Back-shots are allowed.

Skilled game: same, except back-shots are not allowed.

Thread: Anyone played 3 or 6 player on a six-sided (hexagonal) board? (see pictures in carrom gallery)

ericrm305 — 2008-05-01T18:57:09+00:00

I recently acquired a six-sided carrom board. It looked like it could be a lot of fun and indeed it is. The only problem is that it arrived with only a regular set of carrommen, i.e. for 2 or 4 players, and it had no rulebook or instructions.
Fine, I couldn't be bothered dealing with any more items having to go through customs and I had enough colours of crokinole men exactly the right size so I just started enjoying the game instead of getting into a hassle. Well that worked out fine indeed. Following the principles of 2-4 men carrom (which can easily be played on this board as well) I devised my own setup of the six men for each of 3 players plus a queen in the middle. I place the circling pieces with no two colours next to each other in the same circle. You do end up with two of each colour on either side of the queen making six spokes, two of each colour, as opposed to the three white carrommen spokes you get with only two colours (please look at the picture I posted in the image gallery).
This works fine, and I'm thinking is probably the logical and only setup possible, but it would be nice to know if anyone sets up differently or indeed, in the same way .
However, the real question I have is a rules situation that is unlike any in the 2 player or 2 team version. When you have two players or teams, if you sink your last or your opponent's last carromman before the queen: you lose, the game ends and the opponent is awarded points for the queen and any men left on the board. (In the case of sinking your own man it would be the number of the opponents' men left on the board; or, if you sink the opponent's last piece you would add the number of your own men to the 3 points for the queen.
Am I correct so far?
Fine, well, what happens when there is not one but two opponents left standing. Does the game end and they both get the penalty points? Do they continue to battle it out? But if so I'm sort of lost as to how that would proceed especially if an opponent's last carroman is sunk before the queen (or for that matter, even if the queen is already sunk. Usually if you sink an opponent's piece by mistake it stays in, but in this case you can't cause one opponent to win and say to the other "Sorry buddy, I guess I blew it for both of us."

Does anybody know what the rule is or who would be the appropriate body to ask? I suppose I will send this as email to the International Carrom Federation. But I'm sure that there are rules somewhere and I shouldn't like them to think I was too lazy to ask around first. Added to that, I must admit I half hoped to find an answer waiting in this forum for me already, but if someone can provide an answer then the next person to be in my position will have the answer waiting for them here.

Oh and did I mention that this version of the game is a lot of fun to play? It is, the element of chance is much more prevalent so players with less skill have a hope, or at least the appearance of a hope against much better players. If you have played the four-sided version and are not a theoretician in geometry or physics, you could be in for some big surprises or given the opportunity of some otherwise impossible (in four-sided) shots.

Thank you for any help, or sympathy, anyone can provide.

Thread: Re: 20-inch board?

KrisVerbeeck — 2008-04-25T12:35:38+00:00

craniac wrote:
Well Craniac,

I would guess that they make for a less enjoyable game, sort of like a bar-sized pool table. I hope that helps,

Me.

M C is right on the money there.

Thread: Re: Carrom - A Positive Review

clearclaw — 2008-04-20T08:18:48+00:00

I've played Carrom every day this week. I like it. Crokinole is an interesting game, but not as interesting as Carrom. There appears to be more value and reward for skill in Carrom than Crokinole, which can easily dissuade new players, but the reward for skill is more important to me. Crokinole is far more approachable for new players, but I don't value that.

Thread: Re: 20-inch board?

craniac — 2008-04-12T15:40:32+00:00

Well Craniac,

I would guess that they make for a less enjoyable game, sort of like a bar-sized pool table. I hope that helps,

Me.

Thread: Re: Best Carrom boards in Europe?

GeoMan — 2008-03-12T22:32:30+00:00

clearclaw wrote:
I've played a bit on a Synco board and been impressed. They are made in India and imported to the USA.

I only tried a Surco board and it looks very good but i'd like some more info and opinions about different brands before i buy.

Good Surco boards cost around 250€ ($390) in Europe!

Thread: Re: Best Carrom boards in Europe?

clearclaw — 2008-03-12T22:13:13+00:00

I've played a bit on a Synco board and been impressed. They are made in India and imported to the USA.

Thread: Best Carrom boards in Europe?

GeoMan — 2008-03-12T17:37:16+00:00

Which Carrom boards are recommended and available in Europe?

Thread: Re: 20-inch board?

craniac — 2008-02-29T02:19:29+00:00

[crickets chirping]

Ooooh, this doesn't bode well. . .

Thread: 20-inch board?

craniac — 2008-02-28T21:14:01+00:00

I saw this ebay auction, then realized (after bidding) it was for a 20 inch board:

http://rover.ebay.com/rover/1/711-53200-19255-0/1?type=4&cam...

Has anyone played on these smaller boards?

Thread: Re: Home built board?

pahool — 2008-02-28T06:47:25+00:00

I made a carrom/crokinole board (one game on each side.) It was kind of a makeshift deal and the play is a lot better on the crokinole board for two very big reasons:

1) I applied a nice slick finish to the circular piece of plywood I used for the crokinole board whereas the carrom board already had a slick veneer. I did a bit of a finish over the veneer, but I wasn't as careful as with the crokinole side (I was getting too impatient to play) and as a result it's not quite as slick.

2) the rails on my board are totally insufficient. I used half inch thick pine railings and they just seem to absorb the shock of the striker and carrom pieces rather than providing enough bounce for good carrom shots. This is extremely important to get right if you're going to build your own board.

My board was just a prototype and, while it's a lot of fun. It's not professional at all. The crokinole board definitely gets a lot more play, because the board is so much better (also, just because I prefer crokinole). I'll be building another board soon with the lessons learned from this one. I unfortunately haven't found very good information online yet about building your own carrom board.

Thread: Re: Home built board?

CasualSax — 2007-12-18T05:18:49+00:00

Before I reply to your question, let me address the Carrom/Crokinole Argument:

Carrom is treated like Crokinole's bastard child on the geek. To say that Crokinole is more fun is personal preference, and to say that Crokinole requires more skill is a bold faced lie.

Carrom is a lot like pool, you have a "cue ball" and "object balls" that you're trying to sink, while Crokinole is more in the horse shoe/shuffle board breed.

I have not built my own board, but it would be easier then building a Crokinole board. Crokinole requires a ditch to catch pieces that fly off the board; Carrom has a frame that allows pieces to rebound back in. Crokinole also requires pegs to be put into the board.

After making the 29" square board and building a frame for it, it would be a matter of drilling pockets into the corners and then finishing the board. Crokinoleworld.com has a great walkthrough of building a crokinole board, including the finish; the same finishing process would be used for both.

Billiboard.com sells carrom accessories - strikers, powder, and disks. I would pick these up prior to attempting such a project.

Carrom is raved about by people from the subcontinent, but is almost unheard of here on the geek. One isn't better then the other, some people just prefer different strokes.

Thread: Re: Carrom - A Positive Review

Windopaene — 2007-11-02T06:46:12+00:00

RDewsbery wrote:
The title made me wonder if there were any NEGATIVE reviews. Is it possible to be negative about a great game like Carrom?

I've only played the game on one occasion, a few games. I didn't like it much, when compared to Crokinole. So there's your negative review. It wasn't bad, but...

It wasn't Crokinole.

Thread: Re: Carrom - A Positive Review

Nazhuret — 2007-11-02T02:47:48+00:00

Thank you for this well written rules summary.

Thread: Re: Carrom - A Positive Review

NishaDS — 2007-11-01T15:19:58+00:00

I'd certainly hope not, but the lack of reviews here might have discouraged gamers from trying it out. I figured I'd tip the scales.

Thread: Re: Carrom - A Positive Review

RDewsbery — 2007-11-01T14:36:26+00:00

The title made me wonder if there were any NEGATIVE reviews. Is it possible to be negative about a great game like Carrom?

Thread: Re: Carrom - A Positive Review

NishaDS — 2007-10-31T22:15:54+00:00

Happy to contribute and glad to meet another Carrom lover.
That representative image is truly horrid. Something must be done!

Take care,
Nisha

Thread: Re: Some Carrom Board Questions...

NishaDS — 2007-10-31T22:05:25+00:00

Might be a bit late but I’ll try to answer these questions for future reference.

The difference in price is more to do with the quality of wood used and the finish of the Carrom boards. The more expensive ones are also braced better at the bottom to prevent warping and the top board is probably smoother for game play. Even the cheaper boards will probably last you a long time if you use powder when playing and don't expose it to water or extreme heat. It is entirely up to you how much you want to spend on it. If you are interested in participating in tournaments then I would suggest buying a top end Carrom board because you will want to practice and develop your skills on the fastest board out there.

To my knowledge the 27” square boards are for kids and beginners. I would suggest going for the 29” square board since there is no point purchasing a larger board at a later point in time. I grew up playing on the 29” square and had no problems with it even as a kid.

It is essential to use powder on the board. It provides a layer for the pieces to glide on and makes the game play much more consistent. Plus it prevents abrasion and scratches. If you do not want to purchase the Carrom powder, you can use baby powder, baking powder or potato starch. Sprinkle a little bit all over the board and then use your hands or cloth and buff the board. Test it with the striker and see how smoothly it moves and add more if needed. You will see a noticeable change in the way the pieces move around the board. The smoother the board, the more delicate the touch required for play.

The boards are varnished only to seal them from the elements. The powder is used instead of a wax on the boards to allow smooth game play. This is why it is necessary to use powder.

Hope this helps.

Thread: Re: Carrom - A Positive Review

caradoc — 2007-10-31T21:48:03+00:00

I agree - Carrom is a great game.

Now if we can just get a representative image for it that reflects how good it is and how good it looks rather than the rubbish box cover the poor game has now!

Cheers.

Giles

Thanks for a great review!

Thread: Carrom - A Positive Review

NishaDS — 2007-10-31T20:24:34+00:00

There are several games with similar characteristics that are grouped under the category of Carrom. The Carrom I am reviewing is the variation found most frequently in South Asia.

Carrom is a game that resembles Pool or Snooker but is much more accessible to the entire family. In South Asia you are likely to find it in many homes and might even spot it being played on the streets by the neighbourhood kids. It's origins are not certain but over time this game has travelled and is slowly gaining popularity around the world. Competitive Carrom tournaments are now held regularly by the International Carrom Association but it still remains a game for families and friends to enjoy at home, in university dorms or anywhere the mood strikes you.

Players
Carrom is played by 2 or 4 people, often with an avid audience. When played by 2 players, they sit across from each other. When playing with 4, the players are paired up into teams and you sit across from your partner. Each player has their assigned side and makes all their plays from there.

Equipment
Carrom uses a smooth, square, wooden game board with four netted corner pockets and a thick black frame that rises above the game surface. The board is 29" x 29", sturdy and braced at the bottom with wood strips. There are 2 concentric circles in the centre of the board, usually with some kind of design. This is where the pieces are arranged at the beginning of the game. There are lines along the diagonal that are essentially foul lines and indicate the legal edges of each playing quarter. Each quarter also has 2 parallel lines capped by red circles on each end. This is called the baseline and each player makes their plays from the baseline in their quarter.

There are 9 white/beige and 9 black pieces or 'carrommen' and an additional red 'queen'. They are made of light wood and shaped like little ice hockey pucks with concentric engraved patterns on the faces. They usually come in a little cardboard box but many people keep them in tins or custom wooden boxes.

The 'striker' is made of acrylic, bone or ivory and is larger in diameter, slighter slimmer and about 3 times heavier than the carrommen. All players can share one striker or each can have their own. Strikers can be bought individually with their own case and have unique patterns on them.

Carrom powder consists of powdered potato starch or talc used to buff the board before each game to ensure the carrommen glide across the board without scratching the surface. If you don't have any proper carrom powder, baby powder will do in a pinch. Sprinkle the board all over lightly with the powder and then spread it around with a cloth. A little bit goes a long way so don't overdo it and try not to breathe it in. The ‘speed’ of the board is essential to good game play and I would not suggest playing without powder on the board.

Objective
The goal is to sink your nine carrommen, plus the red queen, in the pockets first to win the board. Players take turns flicking the striker at the carrommen from their baseline, using rebounds against the black frame to their advantage.

Technique
There are several methods of flicking the striker but the most common are the 'index finger flick' and the 'scissor flick'. A 'thumb flick' is used for aiming at any piece that falls behind the player's parallel black baselines. The key to a good flick is to support your hand with the rest of your fingers to keep it steady. Make sure your finger will impact the striker in the right place to propel it in the direction you want it to go and vary the strength of the flick when needed. This gets easier with practice.

Game Play
1. Players take their seats around the board and decide who will go first. The first player plays for the white carrommen and the opponent, black.
2. Begin by placing the queen in the centre and then surround her with 6 carrommen, alternating the colours. Add a white piece next to each white piece and then add a black piece on either side of it. Put the last 3 whites in the space between the 2 blacks. Gently push the pieces snugly together and turn it so that a set of double whites is lined up with the centre of the starting players side.
3. First player places the striker on the baseline and flicks it with his finger towards the carrommen arrangement. This is called the ‘break’.
4. If a white piece is pocketed, the player gets another turn, if not, the play passes clockwise to the next player. They will attempt to pocket a black piece and so on.
5. Once a player has pocketed one of their pieces, they may target the queen. When a player pockets the queen, they must ‘cover’ it by pocketing a carromman of their own colour directly after it in order to keep the queen. The queen is returned to the middle if it is not covered.
6. When the queen has been taken and one player or team has pocketed all their carrommen, the board is won. Winning the board gives you 1 point for every opponent's piece left on the board and the queen gives you an extra 3 points. Only the winner of the board gets points.
7. A game consists of 25 points or eight boards, whichever comes first. No more points are collected for the queen after your score reaches 22.
Nb. Most families have their own house rules and you'll find it is easy to adapt the point system and rules to suit your own needs.

Additional Rules
-The striker must cover both the baselines when shooting and can either completely cover the red circle (on the ends of the baseline) or not at all.
-Your elbow or hand must not cross the diagonal foul lines when striking.
-Striking must be with a flick of the finger and not a push.
-If you sink your opponent’s piece, they get the piece and you lose your turn.
-If you sink the striker, you lose your turn and have to return one of your sunk pieces to the middle.
-If you sink a piece of your own colour and the queen in one turn, no matter which went in first, it counts as covered.
-If at any time a piece flies off the board (yes, it does happen!), the piece is returned to the middle.

Commentary
Carrom can be approached with thoughtful, planned strategy or more spontaneous, light-hearted play. The smoother the Carrom board, the faster the game play and the greater the finesse required to hit the pieces just right. Sometimes, the perfect shot requires a light touch and at other times a more forceful one. If you hit too hard the piece might pop into the pocket and right out again. Even if the piece is precariously hanging on the edge of a pocket and looks like a sure thing, the wrong angle and force will send it wildly sliding in the other direction. Sometimes you will have a clear path to all your pieces and at other times will have to rely on a clever rebound to get that tricky piece in. It is this combination of geometry, physics, dexterity, strategy and sometimes pure luck that makes Carrom both challenging and enjoyable.

This is a great game for couples and I play it with my husband regularly. It is also a fun game for game nights and parties as it can be enjoyed by kids and adults of all ages. The rules are quite simple and easy to grasp once in play. Plus, it sets up in no time and will give you hours of enjoyment.

Over time, I have seen Carrom bridge generations, bring families and friends closer together and make great memories. Most of all, it is great fun! I highly recommend Carrom and think it deserves a place in every home and game collection.

Thread: Re: Home built board?

wyldeoak — 2007-10-05T11:15:41+00:00

No, I have not. The manufactured versions are relatively inexpensive. I have made my own Crokinole board, which I think is a game that is fun with more strategy and skill involved.

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Thread: Home built board?

swaits — 2007-10-04T21:21:43+00:00

This game looks pretty fun. Anyone built their own board for it?

Thanks!

Thread: Re: Carrom a (thankfully) rare perspective.

caradoc — 2007-09-29T10:21:56+00:00

Thanks Mate...it was a great game and I had a great time!!

You only have yourself to blame !!

I still can't believe we lost this one though...and I can't believe how accurate you were when so obviously ill! I think it was one of your better games...maybe you didn't care about the 'pressure'!!

Now all we need to do is get someone to change the GOD-AWFUL representative image for Carrom...or change the images of Crokinole or Chess to something equally as pathetic, dull and misrepresentative!

Cheers - and looking forward to our next game

Giles.

Thread: Carrom a (thankfully) rare perspective.

greatsage — 2007-09-29T04:47:46+00:00

A cacophony of sounds from the outside world enters my ears. A friend shouting, a bird chirping, a clock ticking all these sounds assail me and yet do not avail, like the devil’s own tinnitus! I stumble into the kitchen there are people here that I know, sorry I think I know, I am standing in front of these friends in a t-shirt and my underpants. I am green. I slump into a chair and rest my head against the table and close my eyes, the light still penetrates my eyelids. I try to remember the night before, I can remember falling over a couple of times I can remember talking, no wait shouting to anyone who would listen and then it hits me like a cat-bus, I imbibed quite a quantity of alcohol at the gathering the previous night (for reasons unbeknown to me have the eloquence of an Rhodes scholar when I am have a hangover). I let out a strangled wail.

“How are you?”
“Fantastic” (It is like a chux bloated with sarcasm)
“You don’t look very well”
“I am fine, HEY GILES HOW ABOUT A GAME OF CARROM,” I then snigger to myself.
“Sure thing mate”
“Bollocks” I mutter

The carrom board is slammed on the table, the setting of up the carrommen is like being on a construction site.

Someone proceeded to break, I have no idea who, it could have been me for all I know.

My turn comes around I lift my heavy head from the table, get a semblance of focus and flick… and lo and behold I sink a piece. Thankfully we are playing for points and not colors, whites are worth 100, blacks 200 and the Queen is 300. I have another shot and again sink a carrommen! I follow up with a whiff, the striker moves two inches and hits nothing! I lay my head against the table again.

In my sorry state I can hear everything well, too well in fact, but it is handy as I am able to judge when it is my turn.

It comes around to my turn again I flick and again I sink a carrommen not only a carrommen but the Queen! I follow up with a shot that is a whisker off sinking another disc.

This time I do not lie my head back down. Oh NO! I rise out of the chair and with all the dignity of a man in his underpants can muster I excuse myself from the room.

I amble towards the sanctuary, just a few more paces, I kneel down, god hope I am in the right spot… I proceed to do a bit of “bus driving” as I clutch the seat of the porcelain dias and call “RALPH” and “HUEY”. I flush my stomach lining away and clean myself up and return to the game.

I thought that I had been away from the game for five minutes, evidently not the game was very nearly finished, only the dregs were left on the board. I proceed to take my turn and waste it. The saving grace is that the final pieces are proving to be very hard to pot. My turn comes around again I succeed in potting another carrommen and return to my favoured position of having my head against the table in ‘contemplation’.

The turns proceed, I lift my head, take a shot, lower my head. Lift, flick, lower. Lift, flick, lower. It becomes tedious, I just want to retreat back to bed again, although I would be hallucinating about carrommen attacking me.

The game is down to its last piece a black one, 200 points if I get it I could go to bed and the carrommen would be hallucinating about me rather than the other way around. It nears my turn and I lick my dry cracked lips in anticipation…

The black is sunk the turn before mine! The points are tallied up Giles has 900 points someone #1 has 200 points, I have 900 points… someone #2 1000 points. Beaten by one white disc by a blurry person! Oh the humility! I slink (as well as one can slink when there stomach is a brewery) to bed and have nightmares about being flicked by blurry people and dowsed in carrom powder!

In conclusion no matter how much you think that sarcasm can be detected, never underestimate the blind desire of a gaming addict to get a fix! Thanks Giles. Thankfully we don’t own Halli Galli!!

Thread: Exact rules of Pinnochi / Pichenotte ?

thatmarkguy — 2007-08-27T21:12:14+00:00

I've had an old Pichenotte board in my basement for a while and I picked up some rings for it yesterday. What I'm most curious about, though, is if anyone knows exactly how "Pichenotte" is supposed to be played (and its differences from Carrom). I've seen plenty of different rulesets for Carrom itself - seems the Indian game is 9 pieces a side, plus a Queen that can be potted anytime but must be 'covered' to stay down, while the US game has 12 pieces a side and a black piece that is worth extra points but seemingly need not be 'covered' to be scored, and then there's the Scottville variant which seems like 8-ball (pocket the black ring *after* all the others of your side)...

All of which seem different (if only subtly) from the Pichenotte described in Wikipedia, which claims 11 pieces a side are used. And the box of rings I bought yesterday has me further confused - it contained 12 Blue, 12 Red, 1 White, 1 Black, and four Wood (IE, unpainted, finished wood). I have no idea what those last four are for.

Does anyone have a "Pichenotte" board and could paraphrase its rules, please?

Thread: Re: Some Carrom Board Questions...

GVogel — 2007-07-22T14:24:32+00:00

I second all of these questions - I'm glad that I checked the 'Geek before buying, but I too have questions such as these! Anyone out there?

Thread: Re: Session Report: Experience playing on a Indian Carrom Bo

clearclaw — 2007-06-11T16:41:39+00:00

+1

With a little luck I'll be travelling to india on a fairly regular basis. The first thing on my list after work is to bring back at least one good quality Carrom board. It is an amazing game.

Thread: Session Report: Experience playing on a Indian Carrom Board

krackelman — 2007-06-11T03:11:03+00:00

My daughter, Mery age 12, and I had a chance to attend the USCA Eastern Open Championship on June 9th, in King of Prussia, Pennsylvania. This is one of 3 tournaments that the United States Carrom Association (USCA) will run this year. The next tournament is in Las Vegas on June 15-17, 2007 and the final tournament will be back at King of Prussia on August 3-5, 2007. These tournaments are being held in conjunction with the American Cue Sports 2007 National Championships. See www.uscarrom.org.

I didn’t go to actually play in the tournament. My purpose was to go and learn more about this game from the people that actually play it. Also, I wanted Mery and I to try our hand at playing on a real Carrom board with the small pockets as opposed to an American Carrom board which uses large pockets and rings instead of a Striker and coins.

What I experienced was everything I asked for and more. Upon finding the Carrom area, I was greeted by Billy Stevens who is the owner of Billiboard Carroms (www.billiboard.com). He readily answered all my questions and set Mery and I up on our own board to play. I was already somewhat familiar with the rules as I had been researching them on the web. Mery and I were joined by a man named Dave and another gentleman named Hashi to play Doubles. Hashi is the President of the US Carrom Organization. He immediately took us under his wings and began to give us great points on different grips. We learned the thumb shot, the scissor shot, the lock-grip shot, as well as tips on shooting. He also showed us some great ways to practice.

I was surprised at how much accuracy and touch is required to make shots. There is a lot of physics involved in understanding the angles of shots as well. Another dynamic that changes the game is that you use a 15 gram striker to hit a 5 gram coin. Hashi explained how certain coins would react if hit in a certain way by a Striker 3 times the coin’s mass. I would never had seen this had it not been shown to me.

The boards we played on had a very thick edge of about 3 inches by 1-2 inches deep. The main playing area is 29” square. That in conjunction with the powder placed on the board would allow the Striker to bounce from side to side about 4 or 5 times when well struck. I was amazed at how well the coins glided over the board. This game is nothing like American Carrom in terms of coin movement.

It took Mery and I awhile to really start to get the hang of sinking shots since the pockets are much smaller. On a good note we scratched less too, compared to the large pockets on an American Carrom board. Dave and Hashi were thrilled with the shots that both Mery and I were making. They were excited to have some people who came down specifically to learn more about Carrom.

I also took some time watch other participants in the Tournament. They were amazing to watch. They really had mastered the pace of the striker and accuracy. When those things are under your belt, the game moves to a new level of cat and mouse play, offensive shots to defensive shots.. There really is a lot of strategy going on here.

Mery and I were there for about 2 and half hours. The time just flew by. We went out to do some game thrifting and had dinner at the King of Prussia Mall. Since the Tournament was so close, I couldn’t help myself. Mery and I went back to play for another hour. Man, this game is a blast and very satisfying when you make those long shots across the board or sink the Queen and then cover it for the first time. Mery enjoyed it enough that she said she would play Carroms with me if I got a real board. Guess I am going to have to save up some money.

Fellow BGGers, if you are in the area for either of the next 2 tournaments (Las Vegas or King of Prussia) I highly recommend you go and check this game out. You won’t be disappointed and you will learn a whole lot about a challenging and rewarding game. The US Carrom Organization is really looking to promote the fledgling sport of Carrom here in the US (it is really big in other parts of the world, such as Asia and India). So if you want to get in on the ground floor of helping to promote this game, they would love to meet you, teach you how the game is played and help you get started on lifetime of enjoyment playing Carrom.

Thread: Some Carrom Board Questions...

krackelman — 2007-05-18T02:33:24+00:00

I am referring here to the Carrom Boards like they use in India with the small holes in the corners and not the the big holes boards like the American Carrom Company produces.

When I go to various websites that sell these boards, like Billiboard, I see they have different boards that vary by board playing-surface thickness and rail thickness. This affects the price. So for example a Synco board can range in price from $150 to $350.

Will discs shot on these boards at these different price levels all slide the same and the difference is in the number of rails that can be used?

Why should I buy an expensive board vs a cheaper one?

I assume that a 29" board requires more skill than a 27" board?

What is a good beginner board vs relation to price?

Is it necessary to use Carrom Powder on your board?

If you choose not to use Carrom Powder, does the board just keep getting slower and slower?

How much powder do you have to put on? Do you just sprinkle a little in the middle or sprinkle all over?

Are these Carrom Boards, varnished and waxed like a Crokinole Board?

Sorry for all the questions, but this type of Carrom board is all new to me, so I am trying to get some good information from those who have experience with these type of boards.

Thread: Re: How do YOU play Carrom?

mikehibbert — 2007-01-12T18:04:29+00:00

We play it two different ways depending on who we are playing with.

If we play with someone new to the game or with kids, we simply play it like pool. You break, and whoever 'pots' the first Carrom man gets assigned that colour. You procede to pot all your men, and then when you have one left, you pot the Queen, which you then have to 'cover' by potting your last man with the next flick. This is nice and simple to explain, and doesn't punish any errors.

If we play amongst our group, so people who have played before, we tend to play nearer the real rules. You have to pot all your own colour, you can pot the Queen at any point (but must still cover it) and each player scores points for every carrom man they have potted at the end of a game (one point per man, five for the queen). If you pot the striker then you bring out a previosly potted carron man as a punishment (similar to the 2 shots rule in pool).

Personally I love Carron, it's a brilliant game thats tremendous fun to play!

Thread: How do YOU play Carrom?

sorewinner — 2007-01-12T16:36:59+00:00

Looking over the rulebook that came with my Carrom set, I see there are many ways of playing. What is the standard way of playing this game? Maybe a better question would be, how do you play Carrom? The variants listed in the rulebook are confusing me more than helping me.

Thread: Re: Striking

Otto24 — 2006-11-30T22:36:47+00:00

no

you go from the base line and shoot . if one of yours goes in apocker you go again.

the striker must touch both lines but cannot partly cover the red circle at the end ( it can completely cover it)

if the striker goes in then you put a piece back. If striker and one of your pieces goes in you put both back In each case you lose your turn.

Thread: Striking

waterborg — 2006-11-20T12:47:52+00:00

One thing I can't find in the rules is how a turn is played.

I think it goes like this.

1. You put your striker on the base line.
2. You shoot.

If you make a legal shot repeat 1 and 2.

Correct me if I'm wrong.

Thread: Re: Pieces?

RPardoe — 2006-06-17T06:50:47+00:00

Other online sources:

Amber Sports: http://www.ambersports.com/carrometc.htm
Billiboards: http://www.billiboard.com/

A nice summary of resources:

http://www.hilinski.net/woodgames/carrom/carrom.html

Thread: Pieces?

BookandGame — 2006-06-17T06:34:38+00:00

Today in the thrift store I picked up a Carrom board. Unfortunately, it didn't come with any pieces. I figured I could get some if I really wanted to and at $2 it seemed a pretty good deal.

So if I want to get pieces for it, what should I do? The Carrom company produces a set:
http://www.inhomegames.com/store/product.asp?dept%5Fid=49&pr...

Or should I get to a craft store and find some wooden disks? Or home depot and cut my own?

Thread: carrom street prices in India?

pablo2garcia — 2005-08-11T15:41:52+00:00

I'd like to introduce this game to Spain. I would like to know usual street prices in India. As well as directions of producers there or other countries.

También me gustaría saber si hay gente que ya juega en España.

email me: pablo2garcia@gmail.com

I recommend "go" to any abstract thinker. The chinese, korean, japanese board game.
http://www.boardgamegeek.com/game/188

Thread: Session Report

MarkEJohnson — 2003-09-19T13:24:43+00:00

This is crokinole-billiards, more or less. You're flicking disks into each other, attempting skillful shots that cross the entire board. But you're using a single, special "striker" over and over to move your colored disks into corner pockets. There's no "out of bounds" area, and in fact richoceting off the square board edges is a technique (one we could stand to improve). I think the pricier boards have better bounce off of those side rails, but none of them will spring back as much as the sides of a real pool table. I played against Ryan, using rules I downloaded from a group in Ireland. What they call the "advanced" rules are just a competition to clear the board, with the rule about covering the queen (a special disk that won't stay pocketed unless the immediate succeeding shot also pockets a disk.

You have to compare this to Crokinole, the flicking game we're more familiar with. The games may have similar rewards for skill, but Crokinole is more fun. Even a newbie can have a good time smacking the other croke disks around, marvel at the physics of an interior post shot (intentional or not), even sink a 20. In Carrom you may get frustrated when trying to pocket a piece from across the table, especially your last few disks.

It's still a fine game, though. As Dave Arnott says, its classic for a reason. Just a little more challenging, with more of a learing curve. I'm glad to own both, and would like to play Carrom next with the scoring rules, partnerships, or both.

By the way, Ryan commented a couple times about needing to get used to this square board. I'm not sure what he meant by that, compared to the round board of Crokinole.