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Carrom rules and points
How to play carrom at home, from the break to covering the queen, and how to count board points to 25.
Players2 (singles) or 4 (doubles)
Coins9 white, 9 black, 1 queen
GameFirst to 25 points
QueenWorth 3 points
Start Carrom scorecardOpen a Carrom scorecard. It's set to highest total wins, first to 25.
How to play carrom
- Set up the coins in the centre with the queen in the middle. One side plays white and breaks first; the other plays black.
- Strike from your baseline. Flick the striker from between your two baselines. You can only touch it with your fingers.
- Pocket your colour. Each time you pocket one of your coins, you strike again.
- Cover the queen. After pocketing the queen, you must pocket one of your own coins on the next strike to "cover" it. If you miss, the queen goes back to the centre.
- Win the board. The first side to pocket all its coins, with the queen covered by someone, wins the board.
Fouls
- Pocketing the striker: you lose one of your pocketed coins, which goes back to the centre, and your turn ends.
- Pocketing an opponent's coin: their coin stays down, and your turn ends.
- Owing a coin when you have none pocketed: you owe a "due" and return a coin as soon as you pocket one.
Carrom points
| When you win a board | Points |
|---|---|
| Each of your opponent's coins left on the board | 1 |
| Queen, if you covered it | 3 |
The first side to reach 25 points wins the game. Under the international rules, the queen's 3 points only count until a side reaches 22 points.
Example
White wins the board with 4 black coins still on the board and had covered the queen: 4 + 3 = 7 points to White.
Start Carrom scorecardOpen a Carrom scorecard. It's set to highest total wins, first to 25.
Common questions
How many points is the queen in carrom?
3 points, added to the board winner's score if they covered it. In official play the queen stops counting once a side has 22 points.
What happens if you pocket the striker in carrom?
It's a foul. You return one of your pocketed coins to the centre and lose your turn.
How many points do you need to win carrom?
25 points. Some groups play a set number of boards instead.
Can you pocket the queen first?
Usually you must pocket at least one of your own coins before you can pocket the queen.
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