What happens when you land in your own empty pit in mancala?

If your last stone lands in an empty pit on your side, you capture all the stones in your opponent's pit directly across. Put them and your capturing stone in your store. If the opposite pit is empty, standard Kalah rules capture nothing and your turn ends.

Which way do you go in mancala?

Stones move counterclockwise. From your side that means moving to your right, along your own row toward your store, then across and along your opponent's row. Sow one stone into each pit and your own store, skipping your opponent's store.

Do you put stones in your opponent's mancala?

No. When your sowing reaches your opponent's store, you skip it and continue into the next pit. You do drop stones into your opponent's six pits, and your opponent can use those stones on their turn. That's why a big pile near your store can end up feeding your opponent's side.

How many stones do you start with in mancala?

The standard US game uses 48 stones: 4 in each of the 12 pits, 24 per side. Both stores start empty. Some groups play with a different count per pit, but 4 is the usual setup. Every pit gets the same number of stones at the start.

Do you get another turn if you land in your mancala?

Yes. If the last stone you sow drops into your own store, you take another turn right away. There is no limit, so a well-planned sequence can chain several free turns in a row. A pit whose stone count equals its distance from your store always earns a free turn.

What happens when one side is empty in mancala?

The game ends as soon as all six pits on one side are empty. The player who still has stones moves them all into their own store. Then both players count their stores, and the higher total wins. It doesn't matter whose turn it was when the last pit emptied.

Is it better to go first in mancala?

Yes. Computer analysis has shown the standard 6-pit, 4-stone game is a win for the first player with perfect play. In casual games the edge is smaller, but it's fair to alternate who starts. A common opening is to play the third pit from your left, which lands in your store for a free turn.

Mancala Rules: How to Play Mancala (Kalah)

1Object of the game

Finish with more stones in your store than your opponent has in theirs. There are 48 stones in play, so 25 guarantees a win. A 24–24 split is a tie.

2Setup

Put the board lengthwise between you. The row of 6 pits nearest you is yours, and the big store at your right-hand end is your mancala. Your opponent owns the far row and the store at the other end.
Place 4 stones in each of the 12 pits, 48 stones in all. Both stores start empty.
Decide who goes first. Cardinal's rule sheet has the youngest player start. Players often alternate the first move from game to game, since the player who starts has an edge.

3The play

Choose one of the pits on your side that has stones in it and pick up every stone in that pit.
Moving to your right, drop one stone into each following pit, counterclockwise around the board. When you reach your own store, drop one in, then keep going along your opponent's row.
Skip your opponent's store and carry on into the next pit. Stones you drop into your opponent's pits become theirs to play.
If your last stone lands in your own store, take another turn. There's no limit on how many extra turns you can chain together.
If your last stone lands in an empty pit on your side and the pit directly across has stones in it, capture them. Put those stones and your last stone into your store.
Otherwise your turn is over and play passes to your opponent.

4End of a hand

The game ends as soon as all six pits on one side are empty. The other player then moves every stone still on their side into their own store. Count the stones in each store to see who won. Most players then swap who goes first and play again.

5Scoring

Every stone in your store counts one point. Stones stay on the board until they're sown into a store, captured or swept up at the end. The table sums up where stones go.

For	Points
Stone sown into your own store	1 point each
Last stone lands in your store	Take another turn
Last stone lands in your own empty pit, opposite pit has stones	Capture: opposite stones plus your last stone go to your store
Last stone lands in your own empty pit, opposite pit is empty	Nothing captured; turn ends
One side's six pits are all empty	Game ends; other player stores their remaining stones
More than 24 stones in your store	Win
24 stones each	Tie

Wikipedia notes that some players give the leftover stones to the player who emptied their side, or don't count them at all. Solvers have shown that the standard 6-pit, 4-stone game is a win for the first player with perfect play.

6Winning

Once the leftover stones are stored, the player with more stones in their store wins. With 48 stones in play, 25 or more is a win. A 24–24 finish is a tie.

7A worked hand

Number your pits 1 to 6 from left to right, so pit 6 sits next to your store. Your opponent numbers their pits from their own left, so their pit 1 is directly across from your pit 6. You start by taking the 4 stones from pit 3 and sowing them into pits 4, 5 and 6 and your store. The last stone hit your store, so you go again. Your side now reads 4, 4, 0, 5, 5, 5 with 1 in your store. Next you take the 5 stones from pit 6: one goes into your store and the other four into your opponent's pits 1 to 4. Your store has 2 and your turn ends. Your opponent takes the 4 stones from their pit 6. One goes in their store and three land in your pits 1, 2 and 3, making your row 5, 5, 1, 5, 5, 0. Now you take the 5 stones from pit 1 and sow them into pits 2 through 6. The last one lands in empty pit 6, across from their pit 1, which holds 5 stones. You capture all 5 plus your last stone, so your store jumps from 2 to 8. Count check: your pits 20, your store 8, their pits 19, their store 1, total 48.

8House rules

The rules above are the version most US players use. These are the variations you are most likely to run into; settle them before the first deal.

Empty capture: Some players capture even when the opposite pit is empty, so the last stone still goes to your store. Wikipedia lists this as a common Kalah variant.
Leftover stones: Instead of the player with stones left keeping them, some groups give the leftovers to the player who ran out, or leave them uncounted. Agree before you start, since it can swing a close game.
First to clear your side: Cardinal's instructions state the goal as being the first to clear all the pieces from your side into your mancala. Most US players count stores at the end instead.
More or fewer stones: Players sometimes change the number of stones per pit for a longer or shorter game. The Kalah(h,s) notation names the version by pits per side and starting stones per pit, so the standard game is Kalah(6,4).
Youngest starts: Cardinal's rule sheet has the youngest player go first. In a series, alternate the first move to cancel out the starting advantage.

9Mistakes people make

Your store is the big pit on your right. Drop a stone in it when you pass, but always skip your opponent's store.
A capture only happens when your last stone lands in an empty pit on your own side. Landing in an empty pit on your opponent's side does nothing.
When you capture, the stone that made the capture goes to your store along with the captured stones.
The game ends when either player's six pits are empty, even if it isn't that player's turn. The other player then stores the stones left on their side.

10Playing better

Look for a pit whose stone count exactly reaches your store. From pit 3, 4 stones land in the store (pit 3 is four steps away), so an opening move of pit 3 earns a free turn.
Play the pit nearest your store early when it has one stone. It drops straight into your store for a point and an extra turn.
Watch your opponent's empty pits. If one of their empty pits sits across from a big pile of yours, move that pile or make sure they can't land there.
Hoarding stones in a single pit, often the one farthest from your store, can set up a big move late. The risk is that it becomes a capture target.
Near the end, count what's left on each side. If your opponent's side is almost empty, emptying yours first can hand them all their leftover stones.

Mancala: questions people ask

What happens when you land in your own empty pit in mancala?: If your last stone lands in an empty pit on your side, you capture all the stones in your opponent's pit directly across. Put them and your capturing stone in your store. If the opposite pit is empty, standard Kalah rules capture nothing and your turn ends.
Which way do you go in mancala?: Stones move counterclockwise. From your side that means moving to your right, along your own row toward your store, then across and along your opponent's row. Sow one stone into each pit and your own store, skipping your opponent's store.
Do you put stones in your opponent's mancala?: No. When your sowing reaches your opponent's store, you skip it and continue into the next pit. You do drop stones into your opponent's six pits, and your opponent can use those stones on their turn. That's why a big pile near your store can end up feeding your opponent's side.
How many stones do you start with in mancala?: The standard US game uses 48 stones: 4 in each of the 12 pits, 24 per side. Both stores start empty. Some groups play with a different count per pit, but 4 is the usual setup. Every pit gets the same number of stones at the start.
Do you get another turn if you land in your mancala?: Yes. If the last stone you sow drops into your own store, you take another turn right away. There is no limit, so a well-planned sequence can chain several free turns in a row. A pit whose stone count equals its distance from your store always earns a free turn.
What happens when one side is empty in mancala?: The game ends as soon as all six pits on one side are empty. The player who still has stones moves them all into their own store. Then both players count their stores, and the higher total wins. It doesn't matter whose turn it was when the last pit emptied.
Is it better to go first in mancala?: Yes. Computer analysis has shown the standard 6-pit, 4-stone game is a win for the first player with perfect play. In casual games the edge is smaller, but it's fair to alternate who starts. A common opening is to play the third pit from your left, which lands in your store for a free turn.

Sources

Checked by Morgan Hale against the sources below. Last reviewed September 28, 2026.

Mancala Instructions, Cardinal Industries / Spin Master. Read September 29, 2026.
Kalah, Wikipedia. Read September 29, 2026.
Mancala: Game Collection, Rogers State University Libraries. Read September 29, 2026.

Also on the table: Checkers, Chess, Backgammon, Dominoes.