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Math skills and strategic planning are essential to winning this ancient African game.

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  Step 1: Set up

  Place the mancala board lengthwise between two players and put four stones in each of the 12 small cups on the game board.

• Tip

  The six smaller cups are playing cups. The larger cup at either end is the mancala.

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  Step 2: Pick up stones

  Pick up the stones in any of your six playing cups.

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  Step 3: Position pieces

  Drop your stones one by one into sequential playing cups, moving counterclockwise around the board. Include your mancala, but not your opponent’s mancala.

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  Step 4: Alternate moving stones

  Take turns moving stones around the board. If your last stone falls into your mancala, you get another turn.

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  Step 5: Capture stones

  If your last stone falls in an empty cup on your side, take all the pieces from the player’s cup directly opposite.

• Tip

  Hoard all the stones you can on your side of the board.

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  Step 6: Pass out all of your stones

  Whoever runs out of stones on their side of the board loses the game. The player with remaining stones puts them in their mancala.

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  Step 7: Count the stones

  The player with the most stones in their mancala wins the game.

• Fact

  Did you know? The word mancala means ''to move'' in Arabic.