10 Best Carrom trick shots

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