Planning Poker 101
What is Planning Poker?
Planning Poker (a.k.a. Scrum Poker) is a collaborative estimation technique that helps agile teams size work with shared understanding, not guesswork.
Why teams use it
- Builds shared understanding of a story before committing to estimates.
- Reduces anchoring bias with simultaneous reveal of votes.
- Creates quick discussion loops to surface risks and edge cases.
- Works remotely-everyone participates equally.
Typical steps
- Pick a story and read the acceptance criteria together.
- Clarify assumptions and dependencies.
- Each person selects a card privately.
- Reveal votes at the same time; discuss highs/lows.
- Revote quickly if needed; lock in the estimate.
How to run Planning Poker with Agile Tools
Set up
- Create a room and share the link-no logins or installs.
- Choose your deck (Fibonacci, T-shirt sizes, or custom cards).
- Set calculation mode (average, median, etc.) to match your workflow.
Facilitate
- Use timers to keep rounds tight.
- Reveal votes simultaneously to avoid anchoring.
- Capture description/notes for each session as you go.
Tips for better estimates
- Estimate complexity/effort, not hours-keep the conversation about scope.
- Split stories that regularly get high variance in votes.
- Time-box discussions (e.g., two minutes) before revoting.
- Agree on a definition of “done” to reduce surprises later.
