Carrom Board Game Powder

[Ceumar Pee]

A question we are often asked is: 'what is the best type of powder for my disk sliding game?' be it Crokinole, Table Shuffleboard, Shove Ha'penny or Carrom, Weykick games or other less well-known disk games such as Dutch Shuffleboard, Pucket, Shuffle-puck (disk hockey) or Pitrush.

The first question to answer is whether you really need powder to play the game. In some cases, the answer is 'no'. For instance, Tracey, Woodestic and Masters Crokinole boards have such a smooth varnished surface that the disks slide nicely without powder but most players prefer the experience of adding a little powder to make their pieces glide as if on air. For centuries, players of Shove Ha'penny have been arguing about the best substance to put on their boards to make ha'pennies slide better including paraffin, beer and beeswax! Some wooden Shove Ha'penny boards have such a well-polished surface that they also can be used as they are. Slate Shove Ha'penny boards, however, are usually played with smoothed ha'pennies and do need powder. Carrom players always use powder and many boards are made so that the game really doesn't work without it. Likewise, due to the length of most Table Shuffleboards, powder is an essential part of the game to ensure that the disks will slide easily to the end of the table. By contrast, a Dutch Shuffleboard is not super smooth and usually some some force is needed to propel the disks. However, the surface on less expensive tends to be less well-finished and we understand that some players in Holland use powder - there's no harm if you prefer to play with it.

The term 'Gliss', derived from the French word Glisser (slide), is often used to describe the granules used for table-top games, particularly by Crokinole players. Gliss powder can be plastic, natural or a mixture of both.

Although it's not absolutely necessary to buy a specialist product to speed your board up, powders are usually sold in easy-to-sprinkle containers and that are convenient to use and many players will only use a particular type or brand according to their preference. These days, there are two main types of powder used - natural and plastic. All of the lubricant powders mentioned on this page will immediately reduce the force needed to slide the disks by a considerable amount and make your disks glide super-easily across the game board. To ensure an excellent and consistent glide, it is important to ensure that the powder is sprinkled uniformly across the surface without any gaps or areas with too much powder.

A word on safety - in India, it is common to use Boric acid for Carrom boards and many players swear by it - popular brands are Surco, SSS and Synco but Boric acid is toxic so we don't recommend it for home environments. For the same reason, although it works, we suggest avoiding talcum powder. In general, keep dust in the air to a minimum, keep it away from young children and animals plus avoid inhaling or imbibing it!

Plastic powder comes in the form of tiny plastic balls or micro-particles and it can be a controversial choice due to environmental concerns - micro-plastics are increasingly polluting the earth and causing harm to wildlife. None-the-less, such powder tends to be the default choice for the fast growing pub sport of Table Shuffleboard and is found in plenty of bars and pubs across the USA and Britain. SunGlo wax is 100% silicone microballs while Capo from Canada has a secret formula but is believed to contain a blend of silicone beads, cornmeal and possibly polystyrene. Weykick provide Flakon powder, made from Degacryl (a proprietary plastic from the dental industry), for their high-quality magnetic football and ice hockey table games. Meanwhile another top game manufacturer, Garden Games, distribute a product called Disco powder which is made from tiny Teflon microspheres.

There are a number of other powders available on the market. French chalk has long been a favourite for Shove Ha'penny - players traditionally rubbed a piece of french chalk over a rough surface sprinkling the resulting particles consistently over the entire board before starting play. While this works on smaller boards, it is probably too much effort for larger games such as Table Shuffleboard or Carrom. Potato starch is a great natural alternative for a powder and we sell bottles of this produced by Uber Games which is made for their Shuffle-puck game - air-hockey without electricity!

Other vegetable starch powders also work fine and it's not unknown for people to simply use cornflour or bread flour to enhance their game surface but reportedly these do not produce quite such a frictionless surface when compared to the purpose-made products. Woodestic from Hungary supply a potato starch based Gliss powder that has long been a favourite for Crokinole players. They experimented with many brands of the vegetable based product before settling on an Austrian starch that doesn't clump, readily spreads evenly over the surface and provides a really smooth glide.

Played outside, Outdoor Shuffleboard players often use a silicon spray or a special wax on their disks prior to use which makes them glide beautifully along the long shuffleboard courts. Of course, Curling and other games played on ice don't need anything to reduce their friction - that's the point! But there are summer forms of curling and for these, the stones are made with ball bearings to reduce the friction against the ground to a minimum.

Carrom is a tabletop game of Indian origin in which players flick discs, attempting to knock them to the corners of the board. In South Asia, many clubs and cafs hold regular tournaments. Carrom is commonly played by families, including children, and at social functions. Different standards and rules exist in different areas.

The game of carrom originated in Indian Subcontinent.[2] One carrom board with its surface made of glass is still available in one of the palaces in Patiala, India.[3] State-level competitions were being held in the different states of India during the early part of the 20th century. Serious carrom tournaments may have begun in Sri Lanka in 1935; by 1958, both India and Sri Lanka had formed official federations of carrom clubs, sponsoring tournaments and awarding prizes.[4]

The International Carrom Federation[5][6] (ICF) was formed in the year 1988 in Chennai, India. The formal rules for the Indian version of the game were published in 1988. In the same year the ICF officially codified the rules. The UKCF was formed in 1991 in London. The main work of this organisation is to promote the game of Carrom throughout the UK and ensure the participation of UK players in all major international championships.The UKCF have hosted 3 Euro cups in England and have had fantastic success in the tournament with UK players. UKCF organised national championships and league tournaments throughout the UK on annual basis.[7]

The Italian Carrom Federation was founded in 1995 by a group of Carrom enthusiasts and is responsible for the spread of the game throughout Italy. The federation is supported by a large number of volunteers who regularly run events throughout Italy to teach and educate about the game.

The Japan Carrom Federation was established in 1997. In 2001 they moved into their new headquarters in Tokyo from Hikone. Originally set up to allow players to compete in overseas tournament but held their first national championship in 2004 and now hold tournaments, demonstrations and training camps across Japan.

The board and pieces can be bought in UK, Europe, North America or Australia and are usually imported from India. The most expensive boards are made to a high standard with high quality wood and decorations though cheaper boards are available. Some of the largest exporters of carrom boards are in India, e.g. Precise, Surco, Syndicate Sports and Paul Traders.[9][10][11][12][13]

The game is usually played on a square board made of plywood, with a pocket in each corner. The International Carrom Federation says that the square playing surface must be between exactly 73.5 and 74 centimetres (28.9 and 29.1 in) along each side, that the edges be bounded by bumpers of wood, and the underside of each pocket be covered by a net capable of holding at least 10 carrom pieces.[14]

A carrom set contains 19 pieces (striker not included) in three distinct colours: one for each player, and another for the queen. The usual colours are white (or unstained) and black for the players and red for the queen.

ICF-approved pieces must have a diameter of no more than 3.18 cm and no less than 3.02 cm. The pieces must be between 7 and 9 mm thick. The pieces have a plain, rounded edge. The mass of the pieces must be between 5.0 and 5.5 g.

The red disk is called the queen; it is the most valuable piece. During board setup, it is placed at the centre of the circle. In accordance with the ICF rules, pocketing the queen adds 3 points to the player's total score. The dimensions of the queen must be the same as those of other carrom men.[15]

In the UK, many players use a version of anti-set-off spray powder from the printing industry[citation needed] which has specific electrostatic properties with particles of 50 micrometres in diameter. The powder is made from pure, food-grade vegetable starch.[citation needed]

The ICF promulgates International Rules of Carrom (also termed "The Laws of Carrom"). ICF acts as the governing body of carrom. The organisation also ranks players, sanctions tournaments and presents awards. ICF has many national affiliates such as the All-India Carrom Federation, Australian Carrom Federation, and United States Carrom Association.

The winner of the toss strikes first, which is called the opening break. The winner of the toss has the option to change sides from white to black and give up the opening break. The winner of the toss may not pass this decision to the other player. If the winner of the toss chooses to change sides then the loser must strike first.

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