Carrom Rules — Complete Guide

Carrom is a two-player tabletop game from South Asia: nine coins each — white against black — around a red queen at the centre. Each turn you place a striker on your baseline and flick it forward to pocket your own coins into the four corner pockets. Pocket one of yours and you shoot again; the first player to clear all nine coins wins, and capturing the queen — then covering her with one of your coins — doubles the prize.

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The board and pieces

The board is a flat surface with a pocket in each of its four corners. Every round starts with 19 pieces clustered at the centre: a red queen in the middle, ringed by an inner circle of 6 coins and an outer circle of 12, alternating white and black — nine coins per player.

Only two players meet in a match: White shoots first, Black sits opposite. Every shot is resolved by server-side physics: coins slide and slow by friction, rebound off the cushions, and stop or drop into a pocket.

The striker and the shot

Every shot begins by placing the striker — a piece slightly larger than the coins — on your baseline. You may slide it left and right along the middle two-thirds of your edge before shooting.

Shot elementLimit in this version
Striker positionMiddle two-thirds of your baseline (slide left or right)
DirectionAlways toward the opponent's side — up to about 83° off straight ahead; never backwards
PowerFrom a gentle tap to full power
Thinking time25 seconds per shot, then an automatic shot is played

Direction and speed decide how the coins slide and rebound — use the cushions to reach coins with no straight line to a pocket.

Turns and extra shots

White starts. Pocket one of your own coins and you keep the turn, shooting again for as long as you keep potting. Miss everything — or sink the striker — and the turn passes to your opponent.

A single shot can pocket several pieces, sometimes your opponent's: every coin of their colour you sink counts for them and moves them closer to victory, so avoid reckless blasts.

The queen and the cover

The queen is the red piece at the centre. Sinking her is not enough: on your very next shot you must "cover" her by pocketing one of your own coins — the queen is then yours, and she doubles your prize if you win the round.

Fail to pocket your own coin on the cover shot and the queen returns to the centre of the board for both players to contest again.

Fouls

The costliest mistake is sinking the striker itself: one of your already-pocketed coins returns to the centre and the turn passes to your opponent.

If the queen was waiting to be covered when you fouled, she goes back to the centre too.

Winning the round

The goal is to pocket all nine of your coins; whoever sinks their last coin wins the round instantly.

There is no point counting in this version: winning means clearing your coins, and the only bonus is the doubled prize for holding the queen.

A stalemate guard: if 120 shots pass with fewer than two coins pocketed in total, the round is voided with no winner and a fresh board is set.

Tables and stakes

Four tables: a free table plus three stake tables (100, 1,000 and 10,000 chips). The winner takes the stake — doubled if they hold the queen.

Quick Play seats you at a table within seconds; if no human joins within a few seconds, an AI opponent completes the match. You can also create a private room with a five-character code and invite friends.

Quick tips for beginners

Open with a firm strike into the centre cluster to scatter the coins and open lines to the pockets.

Slide the striker along your baseline before shooting — a small shift opens a completely new angle.

Use cushion rebounds to reach coins that have no straight path to a pocket.

Do not take the queen unless you have an easy cover behind her; an uncovered queen returns to the centre.

Beware of potting your opponent's coins by accident — every one you sink for them brings them closer to winning.

Frequently asked questions

Is this Carrom game really free?

Yes — you can play Carrom online free at carrom.yeeqia.com directly in your browser, no download or sign-up required. A free table runs alongside optional stake tables.

How many players play Carrom?

One against one: a white player against a black player.

How many pieces are on the board?

19 pieces at the start of every round: a red queen at the centre, nine white coins and nine black coins around her.

How do you win at Carrom?

Pocket all nine of your coins. Whoever sinks their last coin wins the round immediately.

What is the queen and the cover?

The queen is the red centre piece. After pocketing her you must cover her by potting one of your own coins on your next shot; otherwise she returns to the centre. Holding the queen doubles the winner's prize.

What happens if the striker goes into a pocket?

It is a foul: one of your pocketed coins returns to the centre and the turn passes to your opponent — and the queen goes back too if she was awaiting cover.

Do I shoot again after potting a coin?

Yes — pocketing one of your own colour earns you another shot, and you keep the turn as long as you keep potting.

How long do I have to aim?

25 seconds per shot; when the clock runs out an automatic shot is played for you and the turn passes.

Does it work on mobile?

Yes — the site is mobile-first and runs in any modern Android or iPhone browser, and can be installed as an app.