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Crokinole Carrom

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The Rules

This is a short version of the ICF rules. We found those rules to be difficult to understand, and it took us some time to figure out all the intricacies. I suggest you print a copy for yourself and keep it handy. Our version won't cover every detail, but it should get you through games. Make sure you read the basics before you continue here. If we have something wrong, please write to us.

Any player may pocket the queen (the red piece), but someone must do so before the board ends. To pocket it, a player must have sunk one of his own pieces first. This "unlocks" the queen so that you can sink it on subsequent shots. (If you sink a piece and pay it as due as explained below, then this counts as unlocking the queen.) Sinking one of your pieces and the queen on the same shot also unlocks it. If you sink the queen before you unlock it, your opponent immediately spots it on the small center circle or as close to it as possible if the circle is blocked.

If you sink the queen after you have unlocked it, then you must "cover" it to keep it for your score. To cover it, you must sink one of your pieces on your very next shot. If you fail, your opponent immediately spots the queen. You also cover the unlocked queen if you sink it and another of your pieces on the same shot. Finally, you can unlock and cover the queen on one shot (a rare event) if you pocket the queen and two or more of your pieces on the same shot.

In general, a spotted queen must be placed on the center red circle or as close to it as possible. Other pieces are spotted anywhere inside the center big circle but not overlapping the center red circle.

If you knock pieces or the striker off the board, then your opponent spots them immediately. The first goes on the center red circle (an exception to the above spotting rule).

If you sink your opponent's pieces, they stay in the pocket even if you pocket the striker on the same shot.

If you sink the striker, then your opponent immediately spots the queen and any of your your other pieces that you pocketed on the same shot. You must also pay a penalty of one piece, which your opponent immediately spots. If you don't have a penalty piece to spot, then you owe due, which your opponent spots at the first opportunity.

You shoot again if you pocket at least one of your pieces or the unlocked queen. This rule overrides all conditions. It does not matter if you sink the striker, your pieces, and/or your opponent's pieces. Your opponent immediately spots what he must, and if you sunk just one of your piece (even one that was spotted), you shoot again. If you did not sink a piece of yours, your turn is over.

You win the board if any player has legally sunk the queen and all of your pieces have been pocketed. Only the winner scores. You receive one point for every piece your opponent has on board plus one for any due but no more than nine points total. If you covered the queen and you started the board with less than 22 points, you get a bonus of three points. In some rare circumstances it is possible to win with zero points. (For example, you pocketed your last piece and your opponent's last piece on the same shot, and he covered the queen.) In those cases, the winner scores one point. Notice that you score nothing for covering the queen if you lose the board except for the joy that your opponent does not get the three point bonus. Also notice that you never get the queen's bonus if you have more than 21 points.

There are a number of special conditions that may occur on the last shot of a board, and I suggest you consult the official rules to referee them. This includes what happens if you pocket your last piece or your opponent's last piece before the queen has been covered. There are some general principles you can follow, but if you don't have the real rules handy, you might just spot all the offending pieces, have the fouling player lose his turn, and play on. The general rules of thumb are these:
- If you pocket your opponent's last piece before yours, you lose. Your opponent scores normally as a winner. However, he gets the queen's bonus if the queen has not been covered. The general rule is if you foul on your last shot and the queen is not covered, your opponent gets the queen's bonus as if he had covered the queen.
- If you pocket the striker on your last shot, you lose. You opponent scores normally as a winner with the addition that he gets the queen's bonus if it has not been covered. Remember though that the winner does not get the queen's points if he has more than 21 points.

A game is 25 points or eight boards. The player who reaches 25 points first or leads at the conclusion of the eighth board is the winner.

redball - a simple pocket billiards-like game
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