Carrom

About this board game

Carrom is a finger-pool game for 2–4 players that takes about 60 minutes. Played on a 29-inch by 29-inch wooden board, it challenges players to flick a large weighted disc, called the striker, at smaller wooden discs known as carrom-men.

Each player aims to sink their nine carrom-men—black or white—into the four corner pockets, along with the red Queen. The first player or team to accomplish this collects points for the round, commonly called a “board.” A standard game continues until one player reaches 25 points or eight boards have been completed.

• Flicking skill: Control the striker to send carrom-men toward the corner pockets.
• Distinctive pieces: Play with a weighted striker, wooden carrom-men, and the red Queen.
• Flexible play: Carrom supports games for two to four players, including team play.

Carrom is typically played with powder, while some variations use cues. Its widely played form of “proper” Carrom is supported by a worldwide ruleset known as The Laws of Carrom, which are available from the International Carrom Federation.

With similarities to Pool and Crokinole, Carrom has its own varied strategies and techniques. Its exact origin is uncertain: possibilities include Bangladesh, Burma, Egypt, and Ethiopia, although most people believe it originated in India. The Oxford English Dictionary records the first use of “Carrom” in English in the late 1770s, during the expansion of the British in India through the East India Company.

American Carrom, Korona, and H-ring spel are also related games in a similar vein.