Four counters are placed in each of the six holes in front of each player, leaving the mancalas empty. On the right hand side for each player there’s a larger hole known as a mancala (sometimes called a store). On each side of the board there are six holes / pits belonging to the player closest to them. The board is placed between the two players. There are a few sites that explain it, but this is my own take on it, and I’m hoping by the end of this page, you’ll know how to play Mancala, and could pick up a set and just play. Some written instructions came with the board, but I’m quite a visual person, and would have preferred some pictures. I knew it was about picking things up and dropping them in holes, but that was about it. I was given the gorgeous Mancala set in the image above as a birthday present, and I kind of knew about the game. So with that in mind, I’m starting that today with a look at Mancala – specifically the variant known as Kalah, which is the most popular version in the Western world. That doesn’t necessarily mean sticking with the Cult Of The New though, as there are plenty of traditional games that I enjoy, which I think a lot of people might overlook just because it’s ‘old’ or ‘the sort of thing my grandparents play’. When I started this site, I wanted to share my views on all of the games I play. There must be a reason people keep playing the game, even now, so let’s have a look at how to play Mancala! Background There’s evidence of the Romans playing it nearly two thousand years ago, and some historians believe it’s over six thousand years old.
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