📘 Introduction

Accurate estimation is at the heart of any successful Agile team. But how do you ensure your team estimates stories consistently, fairly, and collaboratively?

The answer: Planning Poker.

In this blog, we’ll explain what Planning Poker is, why it works so well, and how you can implement it effectively in your Agile or Scrum team.

Want to learn more estimation strategies and real interview scenarios? Join ourScrum Master Interview Bootcamp.

🧠 What Is Planning Poker?

Planning Poker (also called Scrum Poker) is a consensus-based Agile estimation technique used by teams to assign story points to user stories or tasks during backlog refinement or Sprint planning.

It combines expert opinion, analogy, and team collaboration to make relative estimates of complexity and effort.

🛠 How Does Planning Poker Work?

Here’s how a typical Planning Poker session flows:

1. Team Reviews a User Story

The Product Owner describes a backlog item, and the team discusses the requirements and scope.

2. Each Member Secretly Selects a Card

Each team member selects a card representing their estimate (e.g., 1, 2, 3, 5, 8…) based on complexity.

3. Cards Are Revealed Simultaneously

Once everyone has chosen, all cards are revealed at the same time to avoid influence.

4. Discuss Discrepancies

If the estimates differ widely, team members discuss why - those who chose the highest and lowest are encouraged to explain.

5. Repeat Until Consensus

After discussion, the team votes again. Repeat until the team reaches consensus.

🔢 Common Card Values

Planning Poker typically uses the Fibonacci Sequence:
1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 13, 21, 40, 100

Why Fibonacci? Because it reflects increasing uncertainty with larger estimates.

Other variations:

• T-shirt sizes (S, M, L, XL)

• Custom scales (e.g., 0.5, 1, 2, 4, 8…)

💡 Benefits of Planning Poker

✔ Reduces bias - everyone votes simultaneously
✔ Improves accuracy - multiple perspectives lead to better estimation
✔ Promotes team discussion - helps surface unknowns and risks
✔ Builds consensus - team alignment on complexity
✔ Fun and engaging - makes estimation less of a chore

⚙️ Tools for Remote Planning Poker

If your team is distributed, many tools can facilitate remote estimation:

• Scrumpoker Online

• PlanningPoker.com

• Miro (with Planning Poker templates)

• Jira plugins (e.g., Agile Poker)

✅ Best Practices for Effective Planning Poker

🗂️ Clarify acceptance criteria before voting

🤔 Encourage everyone to justify outlier estimates

🎯 Use a reference story for better comparison

🧘 Keep the session focused but relaxed

📈 Track how estimates evolve over time for better velocity forecasting

🧱 When to Use Planning Poker?

• Backlog Refinement Meetings

• Sprint Planning Sessions

• Estimating new user stories

• Re-estimating stories after major scope changes

❌ Common Pitfalls to Avoid

🚫 Dominant voices steering the vote
🚫 Skipping discussions after divergent estimates
🚫 Mapping story points to hours
🚫 Estimating alone without involving the full Scrum team
🚫 Rushing through complex stories

🎓 Final Thoughts

Planning Poker is more than just a game - it's a proven Agile estimation technique that improves team collaboration, transparency, and accuracy.

Want to master techniques like this and prepare for real Scrum Master interviews?

👉Join our Scrum Master Interview Bootcamp to learn hands-on with real-time Jira scenarios and case studies.