Planning poker (also called Scrum poker) is a consensus-based estimation technique used by agile software teams. It helps teams estimate the effort required for user stories, features, or tasks — without the bias that comes from hearing someone else's estimate first.
A facilitator presents a user story to the team. Each team member privately selects a card from a deck showing the Fibonacci sequence (1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 13, 21). Once everyone has chosen, all cards are revealed simultaneously.
If estimates differ significantly, the team discusses why. The person who played the highest and lowest cards explains their reasoning. Then the team re-votes until they reach consensus. This process surfaces hidden complexity and assumptions early.
Traditional estimation often starts with one person stating a number. Everyone else unconsciously anchors to that number. Planning poker prevents this by keeping votes hidden until everyone has made their own independent judgment.
When one developer estimates a story at 3 points and another estimates 13, it reveals different assumptions about the work. The discussion that follows catches edge cases, technical debt, and integration concerns before development starts.
The estimation conversation forces the team to align on what "done" means for each story. This shared understanding reduces rework and miscommunication during the sprint.
1. Prepare the backlog. Make sure each story has a clear description and acceptance criteria before the session.
2. Set up the room. Share the room code with your team. Everyone joins and gets ready to vote.
3. Present and estimate. Walk through each story. Everyone votes, then reveal. Discuss differences, re-vote if needed, and move to the next story.
4. Record the estimates. Once the team agrees on a point value, record it and move on. Keep sessions to 30-60 minutes to maintain focus.
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