The best opening moves
In the standard game (Capture rules, four seeds per pit), the first two moves matter more than any others. Number your pits 1 to 6 from left to right. We let the Hard computer search every possible first move for about two and a half seconds each, looking 18 to 21 moves ahead:
| First move | What happens | How it turned out |
|---|---|---|
| Pit 3 | The last seed lands in your store: you go again | Best: about 7 to 8 seeds ahead |
| Pit 6 | One seed in your store, three into the opponent's row | Good: about 6 seeds ahead |
| Pit 4 or 5 | One seed in your store, one or two to the opponent | Behind by about 3 to 4 seeds |
| Pit 1 or 2 | Nothing reaches your store | Worst: behind by about 9 to 10 seeds |
So open with pit 3 for the free move, then play pit 6, which was the best follow-up by the same search. The figures are the computer's estimates, not exact values, but they agree with what is known for certain: with four seeds per pit and perfect play, the first player wins the standard game by 8 seeds, a result proved by computer in 2015. If you move second, you are fighting from behind, so look for the opponent's mistakes rather than trying to copy their plan.
Chain extra turns, nearest pit first
A pit ends in your store when its seed count equals its distance from the store: 1 seed in pit 6, 2 in pit 5, 3 in pit 4, and so on. When two or more pits are "exact" at the same time, play the one nearest your store first. Playing a farther pit first drops seeds into the nearer ones and spoils their count; playing the nearest first leaves the others untouched, so you can take every free move in turn.
The same arithmetic works for big pits: a pit with 13 more seeds than its distance also ends in your store after one lap.
Capture, and stop being captured
- Look at your empty pits. For each one, check the pit opposite. If it is loaded, count back along your row: is there a pit whose last seed would land exactly in that empty pit? That is a capture.
- Make empty pits on purpose. Playing a pit leaves it empty, which can set up a capture for your next turn. A pit with exactly 13 seeds goes all the way round and ends in the pit it started from, now empty: a capture straight away if the pit opposite has seeds.
- Watch your opponent's empty pits the same way. If one of your big pits sits opposite an empty pit they can reach, move those seeds, or sow a seed into their empty pit so it is no longer empty.
- Do not feed the opponent for nothing. Every seed you sow past your store lands on their side. Prefer moves that end in your store or set up a capture over long moves that hand them material.
Winning the endgame
The game ends the moment one side is empty, and the other player keeps the seeds on their side. That gives two rules for the last part of the game:
- Keep seeds on your side when the board thins out, especially in the pits farthest from your store, where they are slow to leave. If your opponent runs out first, all of them are yours.
- Count to 25. With 48 seeds, a store of 25 cannot be caught. Once you are close, play safe moves that keep your lead rather than chasing a bigger score.
How to win Mancala Avalanche
Avalanche has no captures, so everything depends on extra turns, and one turn can last a very long time. In this game's Avalanche rules, the same rules as in the popular iMessage version as far as its published descriptions go, moving first is a huge advantage. With four seeds per pit, our Hard computer found a first turn that banks 38 of the 48 seeds before the opponent moves at all, which is already a win:
2, 2, 3, 6, 5, 6, 1, 3, 5, 6, 5, 6, 6, 3, 4, 1, 6, 4, 3, 6
Pits are numbered 1 to 6 from your left. Every move but the last ends in your store, so you keep the turn; the last one ends it with 38 seeds banked. You can try it above: choose Avalanche, 4 seeds, You first. Another line found by the same search, starting 6, 3, 2, 2, empties the board in 18 moves and wins 26 to 22 without the opponent ever moving. Our search also found that opening with pit 4 loses against best play.
If you are not first, the advice is simpler: on each move, count which pit gives the longest chain into your store, and prefer moves whose last seed lands in an empty pit far from where your opponent can start a chain of their own. When playing a friend, take turns starting.
Practise against the computer
Start against Medium, which looks three moves ahead and punishes obvious mistakes. When you beat it regularly, move up to Hard. The Hint button shows the move Hard would play in your position; using it now and then is a quick way to see which ideas above apply.
Enjoy planning a few moves ahead? How to win Four in a Row covers the same kind of thinking for the classic game of falling discs.
Frequently asked questions
What is the best first move in Mancala?
With four seeds per pit and Capture rules, play the third pit from your left. Its last seed lands in your store, so you move again; then play your sixth pit.
Is it better to go first or second in Mancala?
First. Computer analysis has proved that in the standard four-seed game the first player can always win, by 8 seeds with perfect play. In Avalanche mode the advantage is even bigger.
Should you hoard seeds in Mancala?
Late in the game, yes: seeds left on your side when your opponent runs out go to your store. Early on, a big pile is a target for capture, so only hoard where the pit opposite cannot easily be reached.
How do you get extra turns in Mancala?
Play a pit whose seed count equals its distance from your store, so the last seed lands in the store. If several pits qualify, play the one closest to your store first.
How do you win every time in Mancala Avalanche?
You cannot win every game, but you can win almost every game you start. With four seeds per pit, moving first and following the sequence on this page banks 38 of the 48 seeds before your opponent's first move.