Carrom Variations: How to Play Different Types of Carrom Board Games

Carrom, a beloved tabletop game that originated in India, has gained immense popularity across the globe and captivated the hearts of millions of players worldwide. It is a game of skill and strategy, where players flick discs (also called carrom men or pucks) with their fingers, aiming to pocket them in the four corner holes of the board. The game of Carrom can accommodate two to four players, who have the flexibility to participate either individually or in teams.

Carrom offers a delightful and entertaining experience while providing numerous advantages for both mental and physical well-being. It improves hand-eye coordination, concentration, memory, decision-making, and problem-solving skills. It also promotes social interaction, communication, and friendly competition.

But did you know that there are different types of carrom board games that you can play? You can choose from various carrom variations with different rules, objectives, and scoring systems depending on your preference, skill level, and mood. In this article, we will introduce you to some of the most common and popular carrom variations that you can try with your friends and family.

Standard Carrom

It is the most basic and widely played type of carrom game. Carrom adheres to the official rules and regulations established by the International Carrom Federation (ICF), the esteemed governing body responsible for overseeing the sport.

The standard carrom game is played with two colours of pucks (white and black) and a red puck called the queen. The queen is the most valuable puck in the game, worth three points. The objective of the game is to skillfully pocket all of your own pucks and the queen before your opponent manages to do so. Victory in the game is achieved by the player or team who attains the highest score at the end of the game.

Two or four players can play the classic carrom game. In a two-player game, each participant is assigned one of the two puck colors available, either white or black. In a four-player game, players form two teams of two players, each getting one colour puck. The players take turns striking the pucks with a heavier disc called the striker. The striker must be placed on the baseline (the line parallel to the side of the board) and must touch both lines of the baseline. The player is required to exclusively flick the striker using either their index finger or middle finger. The player can aim at any puck on the board except for the opponent’s pucks in the first circle around the queen.

The player who pockets the first puck in a game gets to choose their colour (white or black). To secure victory, the player must successfully pocket all of their respective pucks as well as the queen piece. However, more than pocketing the queen alone is needed; the player must also cover it by pocketing one of their pucks immediately after pocketing the queen. If the player fails to pocket either their pucks or the queen piece, the queen is returned to the center of the board. If both players or teams have pocketed all their pucks but not the queen, then the queen is placed in the centre spot, and both players or teams get one chance each to pocket it. The player or team who pockets it wins.

Some fouls can result in penalties in standard carrom. Some common fouls are:

• Pocketing the striker
• Pocketing an opponent’s puck
• Pocketing your last puck before covering the queen
• Moving or shaking the board
• Touching any puck other than the striker
• Crossing the diagonal foul lines while striking
• Using more than one finger to strike
• Striking out of turn

The penalty for a foul is usually one point deducted from your score, and one of your pocketed pucks is returned to the board.

Cut-throat Carrom

It is a variation of standard carrom that is more challenging and competitive. It is played with three colours of pucks (white, black, and red) and no queen. This game aims to pocket all your opponent’s pucks before they pocket yours. The player or team who manages to have the least number of remaining pucks on the board at the end of the game emerges as the winner.

Cut-throat carrom can be played by two or three players individually or by four players in two teams of two players each. In a two-player game, each player gets two colours of pucks (white and black for one player, red and black for another). In a three-player game, each player gets one puck colour (white for one player, black for another, red for another). In a four-player game, each team gets two colours of pucks (white and black for one team, red and black for another).

The players take turns to strike the pucks with a striker as in standard carrom. However, unlike standard carrom, they can aim at any puck on the board except for their colour. They can also pocket their colour if they want to reduce the number of pucks on the board, but this does not give them any points. The player who pockets the first puck in a game can choose their colour (or their team’s). The player must then pocket all their opponent’s pucks to win.

There are no fouls or penalties in cut-throat carrom, except for pocketing the striker, which results in losing the turn.

Speed Carrom

It is a variation of standard carrom that is more fast-paced and exciting. It is played with two colours of pucks (white and black) and a queen, as in standard carrom. This game aims to pocket all your pucks and the queen as quickly as possible. The player or team with the shortest time wins at the game’s end.

Speed Carrom is a dynamic variation of the game that accommodates two to four players, providing the flexibility for individuals to compete or teams to collaborate. The players take turns to strike the pucks with a striker as in standard carrom, but they do not have to wait for them to stop moving before striking again. They can strike as many times as they want within their allotted time limit, usually 15 seconds per turn. However, they must strike only from the baseline and not cross the diagonal foul lines while striking.

The player who pockets the first puck in a game can choose their colour (white or black). The player must then pocket all their pucks and the queen to win. However, more than pocketing the queen alone is needed; the player must also cover it by pocketing one of their pucks within the same turn.If they fail to pocket all of their pucks and the queen within the game, the queen piece is returned to the center of the board.

There are no fouls or penalties in speed carrom, except for pocketing the striker, which results in losing the turn.

Two-player Carrom

It is a variation of the standard carrom more suitable for beginners and casual players. It is played with two colours of pucks (white and black) and a queen, as in standard carrom. This game aims to pocket all your pucks and the queen before your opponent does. The ultimate objective in Speed Carrom is to achieve the highest score possible. Therefore, the player or team with the highest score at the conclusion of the game emerges as the winner.

Two-player carrom can be played by two players only, individually. The players take turns to strike the pucks with a striker as in standard carrom, but they do not have to follow any rules regarding which pucks they can aim at or where they can strike from. They can strike from anywhere on their side of the board and aim at any puck, including their own colour and the queen.

The player who pockets the first puck in a game can choose their colour (white or black). The player must then pocket all their pucks and the queen to win. However, more than pocketing the queen alone is needed; the player must also cover it by pocketing one of their pucks immediately after pocketing the queen. If a player or team fails to pocket all their pucks and the queen within the game, the queen is then returned to the center of the board for further gameplay.

There are no fouls or penalties in the two-player carrom, except for pocketing the striker, which results in the loss of the turn.

Indian Carrom

It is a variation of standard carrom that is more popular in India and other South Asia. It is played with two colours of pucks (white and black) and a queen, as in standard carrom. The objective of this game is to successfully pocket all of your pucks and the queen before your opponent does. The player or team that achieves the highest score by the end of the game emerges as the winner.

Indian carrom can be played by two or four players, either individually or in teams. Indian carrom can accommodate either two or four players, who can choose to play individually or form teams. The players take turns to strike the pucks with a striker as in standard carrom, but they have different rules regarding which pucks they can aim at and where they can strike from. They can strike from anywhere on their side of the board, but they must aim at only their colour or the queen. They can only aim at their opponent’s colour if other options are left on the board.

The player who pockets the first puck in a game gets to choose their colour (white or black). The player must then pocket all their pucks and the queen to win. However, more than pocketing the queen alone is needed; the player must also cover it by pocketing one of their pucks immediately after pocketing the queen. If the players are unable to pocket all the required pucks and the queen, the queen is then placed back at the center of the board.

Some fouls can result in penalties in Indian carrom. Some common fouls are:

• Pocketing the striker
• Pocketing an opponent’s puck
• Pocketing your last puck before covering the queen
• Moving or shaking the board
• Touching any puck other than the striker
• Crossing the diagonal foul lines while

Tokyu-ban Carrom

It is a variation of the standard carrom that is more popular in Japan, especially in Hikone city. It is also known as Hikone Karomu or fight ball board. It is played with two colours of pucks (white and black) and a queen, as in standard carrom. The objective of this game is to successfully pocket all of your pucks and the queen before your opponent manages to do so. Victory is achieved by having the highest score at the conclusion of the game, either as an individual player or as a team.

Tokyu-ban carrom can be played individually or in teams by two or four players. The players take turns to strike the pucks with a striker as in standard carrom, but they have different rules regarding the size of the board and the pucks. The Tokyu-ban board is much smaller than the standard board (60 cm x 60 cm) and has larger pockets (6 cm in diameter). The pucks are also smaller (2.5 cm in diameter) and lighter (3 grams) than the standard ones.

The player who pockets the first puck in a game can choose their colour (white or black). To emerge as the winner, the player must successfully pocket all of their pucks along with the queen. However, more than pocketing the queen alone is needed; the player must also cover it by pocketing one of their pucks immediately after pocketing the queen. In the event of a player’s failure to pocket all their pucks and the queen, the queen is returned to the center of the board.

There are no fouls or penalties in Tokyu-ban carrom, except for pocketing the striker, which results in the loss of the turn.

Total Point Carrom

It is a variation of the standard carrom that is more suitable for an even number of players. It is played with two colours of pucks (white and black) and a queen, as in standard carrom. The objective of this game is to pocket as many pucks as possible and accumulate the highest score. The player or team that achieves the most points at the conclusion of the game emerges as the winner.

Two or four players can play the total point carrom individually or in teams. The players take turns to strike the pucks with a striker as in standard carrom, but they can aim at any puck on the board, including their colour and the queen.

The player who pockets the first puck in a game gets to choose their colour (white or black). The player must then pocket as many pucks as possible and score points according to their value. Each white puck is worth 2 points, each black puck is worth 1 point, and the queen is worth 5 points. However, more than pocketing the queen alone is needed; the player must also cover it by pocketing one of their pucks immediately after pocketing the queen. If they are unable to achieve the goal of pocketing as many pucks as possible, along with the queen, the queen is then placed back at the center of the board.

Some fouls can result in penalties in total point carrom. Some common fouls are:

• Pocketing the striker
• Pocketing your last puck before covering the queen
• Moving or shaking the board
• Touching any puck other than the striker
• Crossing the diagonal foul lines while striking
• Using more than one finger to strike
• Striking out of turn

The penalty for a foul is usually one point deducted from your score, and one of your pocketed pucks is returned to the board.

Family Point Carrom

It is a variation of the standard carrom that is more suitable for an odd number of players. It is played with three colours of pucks (white, black, and red) and no queen. This game aims to pocket as many pucks as possible and score the highest points. At the end victory is awarded to the player or team that has accumulated the highest number of points.

Family point carrom can be played by two or three players individually or by four players in two teams of two players each. The players take turns to strike the pucks with a striker as in standard carrom, but they can aim at any puck on the board, regardless of their colour.

The player who pockets the first puck in a game can choose their colour (white, black, or red). The player must then pocket as many pucks as possible and score points according to their value. Each white puck is worth 10 points, each black puck is worth 5 points, and each red puck is worth 1 point.

There are no fouls or penalties in the family point carrom, except for pocketing the striker, which results in losing the turn.

Conclusion

Carrom is a versatile and enjoyable game that can be played differently. Whether you prefer a simple and casual game or a complex and competitive one, you can find a carrom variation that suits your taste and skill level. Feel free to explore and create various carrom variations by experimenting with different rules and formats. The key aspect is to have a delightful and enjoyable experience while playing the game with your friends and family.

So what are you waiting for? Grab your striker and start playing Carrom today!