Learning to Play Carrom a Popular Game in India
If you are traveling through northern India, chances are you will see many men sitting around a table playing a game.
This game is called Carrom.
It is a form of finger billiards and it is highly addictive.
What is Carrom
Carrom is a game that is played on a smooth wooden square table. It uses flat round carrom balls (shaped like checker pieces) to play with. Each player has 9 pieces that they need to sink into the pocket. There are 9 black 9 white and 1 red carrom ball.
You try to put each piece into the corner pockets with the larger white ball called the striker. The first person to sink all 9 of their colour wins.
The Extra Piece
The red ball can be sunk at any time and it gives you 5 extra points. However, when you sink the red ball, you must immediately sink your colour otherwise the red ball comes back out to be put back in play.
The game goes to 29. After each round, the person that wins gets points by the amount of their opponents balls left on the table. If they sunk the red ball also, they would receive and extra 5 points.
It is a popular game and there are even tournaments around India.
Deb’s Turn
Deb plays Carrom
I tried to give it a go and I have to say, it looks easier than it is. It takes some skill and practice.
They powdered down the table with Carrom Powder (it is like a talcom powder) to help the pieces move smoothly accross the wood.
I was giving the honour of breaking the formation. It is just like breaking the balls in a game of pool. I did a weak break but luckily my partner was a “Carrom Shark” and moved the pieces around quickly while sinking one after another.
I managed to have a little luck and sunk 3 of our 9 pieces. It was difficult to get the hang of shooting the striker with my finger. I wanted it to go one way, but it always seemed to go in the opposite direction of my aim.
In Conclusion
It was a pretty fun game and I can see why so many men play this game. We won our little doubles match, no thanks to me and I left the experts to play on their own. It looks like serious business and I am sure that the men are not thrilled with having a girl with bad aim join their party.
Who knows, maybe if I intrude enough, by the end of our Indian adventure I just may be a Carrom shark my self.
10 Responses to Learning to Play Carrom a Popular Game in India
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Get a board & visit me some time… I would love to have a match! Looks like much fun. I’ve learned & played some domino in Havana… with tactics etc. & also in double teams. I loved it, just already because of the unique atmosphere. I guess you feel similar.
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Melvin, we were considering buying a board and sending it home, but we didn’t. I wouldn’t be surprised if we can find it in Toronto, we have a large population from India there. In little India I am thinking I might get lucky:)
Then we will hop a flight for a challenge:)
I can’t help but wonder if having some skill with table billiards would help – it does look like fun, though. Keep practicing – imagine if you could go home with a Carrom trophy!
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Hi Trisha and Melvin, yes it was fun. It is always great to try a new game and the guys were happy to teach us. I did not have a lot of skill. It looked easy, but whenever I went to flick my piece it went in the opposite direction. In time it is easier to get the hang of though.
I just love this game!! A def fav of mine – the kids at the monastery in Nepal played it, and then I learned while trekking. They called it cannonball over there (or perhaps that’s the translation they gave us) and I agree, a lot of fun to play and try to master
Very similar shots of me playing: http://bit.ly/33oQyw on day three of the trek 
You guys just brought me back to some gooood memories!
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Is it mainly played by men or do the local women participate as well?
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Gourmantic, It is played by men as far as I could tell. didn’t see any local women taking part in Carrom. Who knows, they may play it at home:)
Shannon, great shot of you playing in Nepal, it is similar. Fun!
Oh, wow, your post brought back good childhood memories. I had forgotten all about carrom till now. Used play it on vacations with my cousins and in the school canteen. When we were really young, before learning how to play the game proper, we used to stack the carrom pieces in a tower to see how high it can go before toppling over!
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Haha Yi Lin, your way as a child sounds more exciting! Glad we brought back some fond memories!