How to Play Aim Carrom for Beginners
The article teaches how to set up and play the Carrom board game.
Aim Carrom is a fun game like Pool or Shuffleboard, but you use your fingers and a special piece called a striker instead of cues. Two or four players can play it. It has different names worldwide, like carrom, couronne, and finger billiards.
Part (1) Setting Up the Board
Familiarize yourself with the symbols on the board
Play Carrom pool with your fingers. You use little pieces instead of balls and aim to get them into holes using a heavier piece called a striker. The Carrom board is big and wooden with special marks on it. It’s important to know what these marks mean before you start playing. Understanding the board is key to playing Carrom well.
Learn the significance of carrom pieces
In Carrom, there are 9 pieces of black, 9 pieces of white, and 1 piece of red (sometimes called “the queen”). There are also two pieces called “striker pieces”. Each player in Carrom has 9 pieces, including the striker piece. The black pieces are held by one player, and the white pieces are held by the other. The pieces are sometimes called carrommen.
Set the board up for play.
Start the game by placing the queen at the center of the board. Then, arrange six pieces in a circle around the queen, making sure each piece touches both the queen and the pieces next to it.
Part (2) Beginning the Game
Sit opposite from each other
In Carrom, you either play one-on-one or in teams, with players or teams sitting across from each other. Each player or team should be at opposite ends of the board, with their own rectangle to launch the striker from.
Practice gripping your striker
The striker is the heaviest piece you can hit to put your pieces in the pockets. If you’re just starting out, it’s best to practice hitting and gripping the striker a couple of times before you start playing. Don’t push the striker, just flick it. You can’t move your chair or leave your seat while using the striker. You’ll have to hit it from within the rectangle boundaries on your end. There are two basic grips to use when hitting the striker: The straight grip The scissors grip
Determine who goes first and have that player break the circle
In most games, the first player goes first by flipping a coin. However, there are no such rules in this game. If you don’t want to flip a coin, you can use rules from other board games such as “the oldest goes first” or “the tallest goes first.” Once you’ve decided which player goes first, they have to break the middle circle by taking their first shot with their striker.
Take turns until you determine who pockets which colors
In a carrom game, you don’t know which pieces are black and which ones are white. It’s all decided during the game. The first player who puts a piece in their pocket immediately has to put pieces in that color in their pocket for the remainder of the game.
Completing the Game
Continue playing until the conclusion of the first round
A carrom round is over when one player has all their pieces in their pocket and the queen is in her pocket. The rounds are played until one player reaches 29 points. Whoever hits 29 points wins the round.
Follow rules regarding the queen
The queen, also known as the red piece, must be “pocketed” by the end of the round. A player can both “pocket” the queen and “cover” it. “Covering” the queen simply means that one player has “pocketed” the queen in accordance with the rules. In some cases, a player can pocket the queen without “covering” it and the queen will return to the board.
Penalize players for fouls
Fouls are part of the carrom game. If you or your opponent fouls, you will be punished by having one of your color pieces return to the board. Some of the following situations can lead to a foul:
Continue playing a round until one player has pocketed all of his or her pieces
The first player to pocket their pieces wins the round, and is then awarded points. However, a round cannot end with the queen still on the board. The queen must have been pocketed and covered by one player for the round to conclude.
Score each round properly
To calculate your score, calculate the number of pieces your opponent has left on the board. Let’s say you have 5 pieces left on your opponent’s board.
Complete the game
There are no limits to how many rounds you can play in a carrom game. You just play until you reach a certain number of points. After that, you subtract the points from each round until the total number of points reaches 29 or higher.
Frequently Asked Question
Conclusion
Carrom is an exciting board game that combines the strategy of billiards, but with the fun and charm of finger play. It can be played as a single or a pair, but the heart of the game is the skill of the striker, who aims to pocket his black and white pieces and the vital red queen, who holds the key to extra points.
To set up the board, you need to know its unique markings, how the carrommen arrange themselves, and the queen, which is at the core of the game. If you are a beginner who wants to learn the basics, or an experienced player who wants to fine-tune your strategy, you can improve your game with the help of straight and scissors grips.
As you alternate turns, trying to clear your pieces and cover your queen, the game develops in a sequence of strategic moves and counters. The joy of playing Carrom lies not only in the competition, but also in the shared moments of struggle and triumph, which is why it is loved all over the world.