How to Play Carroms

Carroms is a game similar to billiards but is played on a plywood board using wooden pucks called carroms. Players use a striker to push their carroms into pockets at the board's corners before their opponents sink theirs.

Step 1: Arrange the carroms
Arrange the carroms in a hexagon at the center of the board with the red queen in the center.

Step 2: Flip a coin
Flip a coin to determine which player goes first. The winner plays the white carroms.

Step 3: Take a seat
Seat yourself at one side of the board. You will only be allowed to initiate carrom strikes from that side of the board.

Step 4: Try to sink your carroms
Move the striker with your fingers from your baseline as you try to sink your carroms. Your turn continues as long as you continue to sink carroms.

Step 5: Try to sink the red queen
When you have sunk one of your carroms, try to sink the red queen.

Tip
If you sink the red queen, you must sink one of your carroms on the next shot. Otherwise the queen is returned to the center of the board.

Step 6: Continue the game
Continue the game until one player has sunk all of their carroms and the red queen has been sunk. That player is the winner of the game.

Did You Know?
The first international carroms match was held in the 1960s, when a team from India competed against one from Sri Lanka.