Carrom Superstar - Pool & carrom game

Introducing Carrom Superstar

Experience the thrill of traditional carrom gameplay on your Android device with Carrom Superstar.

Challenge the computer at different difficulty levels or enjoy a match with friends either online in private rooms or on the same device.

Engage in live matches against global players, showcasing your skills in this strike and pocket game akin to billiards, snooker, or 8 ball pool.

Use intuitive controls, involving multi-touch gestures to aim and strike the pucks into pockets while immersing yourself in the realistic physics simulation of a physical carrom board.

Start off by testing your skills against the easy computer, gradually becoming proficient with the controls. Begin your enjoyable gaming journey!

Rules for Carrom or Karom Board Game

January 21, 2022 by Lekhika Dhariyal

Carrom is one of the best games to play that people have enjoyed for many years. If you are interested in learning how to play carrom, it is essential to understand its rules thoroughly. The carrom rules (Karom) dictate how the game is played and what actions are allowed during the gameplay. These rules cover every aspect of the game, from how the board is set up to how points are earned.

To master the carrom game, it is crucial to deeply understand the carrom rules and how they are applied in gameplay. For better understanding, we have divided the rules for Carrom into 4 categories:

1. Carrom rules: Basic rules of Karom

2. Rules to start the Carrom game

3. Carrom rules for Queen

4. Carrom points rules

Carrom Rules: Basic Rules of Karom

Carrom is played between 2 or 4 players. There are 19 tokens at play – 8 black, 8 white color tokens, and one queen. If you are new to the Carrom game, here are the general rules that can come in handy:

- Players can pocket only their chosen color token. If the player pockets an opponent’s carrom men, they need to return it to the center of the board.

- For every carrommen pocketed, the player gets an extra turn.

- If a player commits a foul, they either lose their turn or have to return one carrom men as a penalty to the board.  

- If the player pockets the carrom striker, it is a foul.

- The player commits a foul if they touch any piece in the Carrom board other than the striker.

- It is a foul if the striker or any other carrommen leaves the board.

- The player can place the penalty carrom men on top of other men within the main circle.

- If the carrom men overlap with another carrom men or land on end, leave them as it is until moved again in the normal course of play.

- If the striker rests under another carrommen, remove the sticker with as little disturbance to the covering carrommen as possible.

Carrom Rules to Start the Game

Here are the carrom rules (Karom rules) to start the game:

- The player who goes first gets three attempts to break the central group of Carrommen.

- The break happens when the striker touches any Carrommen placed in the center of the board.

- They lose their turn if the player attempts to break with an improper stroke or pockets his striker without touching the carrom men.

- If the player cannot break after three attempts, the turn to break is passed to the opponent.

Carrom Rules for Queen

Here are Carrom board game rules to cover the queen:

- To cover the Queen, the player has to pocket one or more carrom men of their own color after pocketing the Queen.

- If the player covers the queen successfully, the player gets another chance to strike.

- A player can only pocket and cover the queen if they have picked at least one carrommen of their color. If the player pockets the Queen first before pocketing any other carrom men, the Queen returns to the center of the board.

- While shooting for the queen, if the player sinks one of their carrom men in the same shot, the queen is automatically covered, no matter which went first.

Carrom Points Rules

Take a look at the carrom rules to earn points in the game:

1. The game consists of 25 points.

2. The value of each carrommen is 1 point, except for Queen.

3. The board winner collects 1 point for each opponent’s tokens left at the finish.

4. The player earns 3 points for successfully pocketing and covering the queen. If the board winner cannot cover the Queen, no one gets 3 points for the Queen. You do not get Queen points after the player’s score reaches 22.

Here are some related articles on the Carrom board game:

- How to play Carrom?

- Carrom Striker – Price, Material, and popular striking styles

- Where and how to play Carrom Board Online Games?

- Carrom board size

- Why play carrom multiplayer games?

Carrom Rules: FAQs

What are the Carrom fouls to beware of?

A carrom foul happens when you pocket the striker or an opponent’s piece. It is also considered a foul if a piece leaves the board or you fail to break the formation in the middle of the board after three attempts.

What is the Carrom points rule?

Carrom points rule refers to the scoring system used in the game of Carrom. Depending on the color, the carrom points rule assigns a certain number of points for each carrom man pocketed – White carrom man: 1 point | Black carrom man: 2 points | Queen (red carrom man): 3 points.

Can I hit backward in Carrom?

Yes, just use your thumb to flick the striker. Learn about the best carrom tricks to win the game here.

What happens if Queen goes with a striker?

If you pocket Queen and striker together, the queen will be returned to the table. Moreover, two additional carrommen will be taken from you, and you will lose your turn.

Is thumb allowed in Carrom?

Yes, you can use your thumb to strike a carrommen.

Are online carrom rules different from the classic board game?

Yes. Depending upon the online carrom game, rules will be slightly different. Take a look at this article to learn carrom online game rules.

10 Best Carrom trick shots

January 27, 2022 by Lekhika Dhariyal

Want to defeat your opponent in Carrom? Knowing the carrom tricks and trick shots can give you an advantage over your opponent. This article shares 10 carrom trick shots and provides 4 expert tips on improving your game.

Top 10 Carrom board trick shots

Apart from having a good sense of angle, you must have great precision and concentration to make a perfect carrom trick shot. Besides, how well you play Carrom depends on how well you shoot or flick the striker. You must flick the striker in a way it hits and pockets the carrommen.

But how to do it? Jump to the 5 types of carrom striking style.

Here are the 10 Best Carrom tricks that you should know to play Carrom like a pro:

1. Side Shot

2. Middle Shot

3. Board Shot

4. Center Cut Shot

5. Cut and Take Shot

6. Back Shot

7. Double shot

8. Thumb hot

9. Alley Oop

10. Second Hit

Side shot

You can play the side shot in two scenarios:

- To block your opponent

- To pocket a carrommen

When using a side shot to block your opponent, make sure that you hit the striker so that it becomes difficult for your opponent to pocket that carrommen. On the other hand, play this shot so that carrommen goes directly into your pocket. This will not give you a chance to your opponent to score that carrommen in his pocket. Generally, players use this Carrom trick to be on the safer side.

Middle Shot

The middle shot is played at the beginning of the game. To play this shot, all the carrommen should be placed in the center of the board. The player aims to hit 2 carrommen simultaneously by hitting the striker into the space seen between the two carrommen. The idea is to simultaneously move and pocket the 2 carrommen in two directions.

Board Shot

The board shot is for advanced Carrom players who are well-versed in the game. If you are a beginner, there are chances that you might make a mistake while trying this Carrom shot, resulting in a foul. To play this shot, you must hit the striker to touch three sides of the board and then hit the carrommen. The shot should end with the striker hitting the carrommen straight into your side of the pocket.

Center Cut Shot

A Cut shot aims at the carrommen or Queen, placed on the center of the board. In this shot, the player strikes the striker to hit the side of the coin. To play this shot, you need to hit the striker to hit the game piece to the other side of the pocket of the striker. For example, if you are playing this shot from the right side, you will play the cut shot towards the left side and score it in the left pocket.

Another version of this shot is called the ‘Cut and Take’ shot.

Cut and Take Shot

In this shot, the player strikes to pocket a coin in one direction and hits back to bag another coin. The cut-and-take carrom trick comes in handy when the player needs to cut a game piece in a different direction and simultaneously pocket another. By doing so, pocketing another game piece in the next shot becomes easy for the player.

Cut and Take shot is generally played when the player pockets the Queen and needs a cover.

Back Shot

The game piece the player wants to hit may be near their baseline, and as per the rules, they cannot hit the striker backward. So, how to do the players pocket that game piece? Here the back shot comes to the rescue.

The player strikes the striker so hard in the opposite direction that it hits the board and returns to where the game piece is. This will make the game piece slide toward the pocket.

Double shot

A double shot is the most common Carrom shot. You play this shot when the carrommen is in the center or close to the center of the board. This shot aims to pocket 2 game pieces in two different pockets. For example, the player strikes one carrommen directly towards the opposite pocket if you look at the image below. Simultaneously, the striker hits the opposite side of the board. The striker bounces back opposite to hit another carrommen into the pocket.

Thumb hot

Thumb hot is one of the carrom tricks to be played when players’ finger starts to hurt after hitting the striker for quite a while. There is no rule that the player can hit the striker only with one finger. Thus, they can use their thumb to hit the striker. A Thumb shot results in a stronger hit, which can help the player to pocket the game piece. To play this shot, you form a circle with the help of the index finger and the thumb. You then flick your thumb toward the striker.

Alley Oop

If the player is playing in doubles, the Alley Oop shot is one of the Carrom tricks they can use. This trick is solely based on teamwork. In this shot, the player slides their game piece so that their partner can pocket it easily.  So, if you know you cannot pocket a particular game piece, you pave the way for your partner to take that game piece.

Second Hit

The second hit is one of the Carrom tricks that helps the player pocket 2 game pieces in one shot. While playing Carrom, another game piece may block the player’s targeted game piece. In such a scenario, the obstructing game piece becomes their target.

So, when the player hits the obstructing game piece, it hits the previously targeted one, leading both the game pieces to the pocket. The target and obstructing game piece are in the same line as the pocket for this shot to work. Moreover, to play this shot, the players aiming skills should be strong.

Carrom board tips

Now that you are aware of the 10 best Carrom tricks, here are 4 expert tips for improving your Carrom game:

- Follow the rules and avoid fouls

- Have the right attitude

- Striking style

- Using the 10 Best Carrom Tricks

Follow the rules and Avoid Fouls

You should have an idea about the rules and fouls in Carrom. Follow the rules and avoid fouls. Players get a foul when they pocket competitors’ coins or the final piece before getting the Queen. So, closely pay attention to the Fouls in Carrom. Here is an article that covers must-know rules and fouls in Carrom.  

Have the right attitude

While playing any game, competition is bound to creep in. Remember to have the right attitude and not frown upon the opponent. Having the right mental attitude is necessary to win the game. If you are at a beginner’s level, don’t be disheartened if you lose. Keep practicing and get better.  Moreover, if you are playing with someone new to the game, bend the rules slightly for your opponent. Also, ensure that the new player knows all the rules at the start of the game.

If you play in a tournament, do not get over-competitive; it might spoil the gaming spirit altogether.  

Striking styles

One of the helpful Carrom tips to improve your game is to learn and use different striking styles. There are several ways of flicking the striker. You can use your middle finger and thumb or index finger & thumb or index & middle finger. Some popular striking styles are listed below:

- Middle finger striking style

- Scissor striking style

- Index finger striking style

- Vertical long finger striking style

- Thumb and middle finger striking style

Use the 10 best Carrom tricks

Lastly, learn and practice the 10 trick shots discussed in this article to improve your Carrom game. Remember, these tricks are not something you can master in one day. To practice the 10 tricks, you should first know how to flick the sticker perfectly. Your striking speed and accuracy are the keys to pocketing a game piece. Here are some helpful Carrom tips that you can use while flicking your striker:

- Always keep your hand steady on the board. Place the base/edge of your palm or fingers firmly to ensure that the striker is flicked in the right direction

- Do not push the striker, as it will be a foul

- Keep your fingers close to the striker so you do not hurt your fingers. If you are hitting the striker from far, you might hurt your nails

Carrom Tricks – Key Takeaway

- The main carrom trick is to hit the striker in the right direction at the right speed.

- Take advantage of the carrom trick shots such as side shot, middle shot, board shot, center cut shot, and back shot to pocket the carrommen.

- To play classic carrom board, you must learn various striking styles such as a middle finger, scissor, index finger, long vertical finger, and thumb striking style.

- Follow the rules to play carrom to avoid any fouls.

We hope that these Carrom tricks and tips will help you get better at the game. All the best for your next game!

Carrom tricks – FAQs

What happens if the striker goes with Queen?

If the striker and the Queen are pocketed together by a proper stroke, the queen is placed back in the center of the board. Moreover, the player who pockets Queen and Striker has to also place an additional carrommen on the center of the board. Take a look at this article to know the rules to play Carrom.

Is a reverse shot allowed in Carrom?

Yes. You are allowed to hit in any direction from the carrom board.

How do you always win at Carrom?

To win the carrom game, you must first have the right attitude. Apart from that, your striking style and accuracy should be good to win the game. Look at this article that tips and tricks to win the carrom game.

Can I use my Thumb to strike the striker?

Yes. You can shoot with any finger, including the thumb. The technique is called thumbing.

How to hit the striker in Carrom?

The main carrom trick is to hit the striker at a correct angle with the right speed. So, for close shots, use less force.

What are the best trick shots in Carrom?

Side, middle, and thumb shots are some of the best carrom board trick shots.