Questions about CARROM
Jim Bolland
I expect that Glenn Kuntz will reply to your posting soon. In the mean time
check out his Crokinole Board website (http://www.frontiernet.net/~crokinol/).
It's a really good one! The history of Crokinole and Carrom is fascinating.
Jim
> Hi...I can't find a newsgroup for the game Carrom, well not on my
> news-server anyway :-)
> So, I'll presume it's OK to post as a boardgame.
> I just got my first carrom board and have some questions:
> 1. Once the Queen is covered, regardless of who does it, the game then
> continues to all pieces potted?
> 2. Is the game played "fast" between players or do they take their
> time in lining up shots...(I'm in Australia, and in Geelong there does
> not appear to be any other Carrom players, so we are just playing it
> as we think we should...we have the rule book, but are also interested
> in the "style" of the game!
> 3. What is the best powder to use: starch, potato starch, any
> specialty product?
oz...@ozbiz.org
news-server anyway :-)
So, I'll presume it's OK to post as a boardgame.
I just got my first carrom board and have some questions:
1. Once the Queen is covered, regardless of who does it, the game then
continues to all pieces potted?
2. Is the game played "fast" between players or do they take their
time in lining up shots...(I'm in Australia, and in Geelong there does
not appear to be any other Carrom players, so we are just playing it
as we think we should...we have the rule book, but are also interested
in the "style" of the game!
3. What is the best powder to use: starch, potato starch, any
specialty product?
Thanks in advance for any replies, most appreciated.
Steve.
Landsrgame
Information about the U.S. Carrom Association, and the International Carrom
Federation can be found at http://www.carrom.org
In Australia, you can write to:
Australia Carrom Federation
Bob Stirling
PO Box 727
Bondi Junction, NSW, 202
Harvey
http://members.aol.com/landsrgame
=*Fantastic*= game in about 7 turns!
Glenn Kuntz
> Hi...I can't find a newsgroup for the game Carrom, well not on my
> news-server anyway :-)
> So, I'll presume it's OK to post as a boardgame.
> I just got my first carrom board and have some questions:
> 1. Once the Queen is covered, regardless of who does it, the game then
> continues to all pieces potted?
As it was taught to me, yes.
> 2. Is the game played "fast" between players or do they take their
> time in lining up shots...(I'm in Australia, and in Geelong there does
> not appear to be any other Carrom players, so we are just playing it
> as we think we should...we have the rule book, but are also interested
> in the "style" of the game!
This depends on the individual. In my experience, most people start out
playing fairly fast because frankly, it's the action that drew them to the
game in the first place. As players ripen, they start to look for
opportunities to exploit, and test the limits of what they can accomplish;
this can take some time & thought. As players mature further, there's a
combination of playing fast when you recognize common situations, and
slowing down to evaluate when you come up against something
new/different/unusual (which can happen quite often.)
> 3. What is the best powder to use: starch, potato starch, any
> specialty product?
I've tried:Talc (talcum powder) - not a good idea for health reasons, I'm
told.
Boric Acid - I've been told there are risks here as well, though can't
substantiate.
Corn Starch - no special health risk, but can be effected by humidity.
Shuffleboard Wax - I like it, but a lot of Carrom players don't. Comes in
various grades or "speeds".
There are also boards that are made well enough that no powder is
necessary. I think the messiness of powders may dissuade some people from
trying/playing/liking the game.
> Thanks in advance for any replies, most appreciated.
> Steve.
--
The CROKINOLE Board
http://www.frontiernet.net/~crokinol
Richard Dewsbery
> news-server anyway :-)
> So, I'll presume it's OK to post as a boardgame.
Another Carrom player! Hi.
> I just got my first carrom board and have some questions:
> 1. Once the Queen is covered, regardless of who does it, the game then
> continues to all pieces potted?
In every variation _I've_ played (which is nowhere near to an exhaustive
list) the answer is yes. "Standard" rules (if there can ever be such a
thing in Carrom) state that the winner is the player pocketting all of their
own pieces, and scores one point for each of the opponent's pieces still on
the board. If that player also covered the queen, they score a bonus 5
points (the motivation for the "loser" covering the queen is to prevent the
"winner" getting those 5 points). Note that you don't need to cover the
queen by pocketting a piece in the same hole (not round here, anyway -
unless you want a real long game).
> 2. Is the game played "fast" between players or do they take their
> time in lining up shots...(I'm in Australia, and in Geelong there does
> not appear to be any other Carrom players, so we are just playing it
> as we think we should...we have the rule book, but are also interested
> in the "style" of the game!
Generally, I like to play quite quickly, but lining up each shot carefuly
nontheless. My partner plays very quickly, on the basis that if a pice goes
down, it'll be a fluke anyway, and there's no point in taking the time to
aim!
Generally it's considered "bad form" to criticise the opponent's style of
play, whatever it is (unless they're cheating, of course). Additionally,
you usually play by the host's rules, if they're different to your own.
Trikon press have a great bok about the ethics, variations and history of
the game.
> 3. What is the best powder to use: starch, potato starch, any
> specialty product?
Don't really know. I deliberately set out to buy a high quality board with
resin pieces, withthe end effect that it needs no powder, from Karum in the
UK. I also saw some nice swiss-made boards at Essen that looked like they
needed no powder. In India, they use boric acid, which is corrosive and
will attack any design painted on the board over time (and it's not good to
eat). In the US, they use potato starch, which I gather is a little slower,
but has fewer side effects. I've seen a metal board which used micro-ball
bearings (apparently called ballantrine, and is used by the Hollywood
special FX departments to make that glass of beer slide to the end of the
bar in all good westerns). My advice - use potato starch, until the
vacuuming gets you down.
Here are a couple of web links (the only ones I've found which were any
good, apart from the aforementioned Crokinole page).
http://www.carrom.org/links.html
Richard
oz...@ozbiz.org
Greatly appreciated.
we are really enjoying this game!
