What is Planning Poker?
Planning poker — also called scrum poker — is a consensus-based estimation technique used by agile teams to size the effort of tasks in a sprint backlog. Instead of a single person guessing how long work will take, the whole team estimates together, card in hand.
How planning poker works
In a planning poker session, the team reviews one backlog item at a time. After a short discussion, every member privately selects a card representing their effort estimate — usually a number from the Fibonacci sequence (1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 13…). When everyone is ready, all cards are revealed at the same time.
The simultaneous reveal is the whole point: it prevents "anchoring", where the first number spoken biases everyone else. If estimates match, the team records the number and moves on. If they differ, the highest and lowest voters explain their reasoning, the team discusses, and re-votes until it converges on a shared estimate.
Why is it called "poker"?
Because each participant holds a hand of cards and plays one face-down, revealing it only when everyone reveals together — just like a round of poker. The technique was popularised by James Grenning in 2002 and later by Mike Cohn, and is now a staple of Scrum and other agile frameworks.
Why agile teams use planning poker
- It removes bias. Simultaneous reveals stop dominant voices from anchoring the estimate.
- It surfaces hidden complexity. Big gaps between votes reveal misunderstood requirements or edge cases before coding starts.
- It builds shared understanding. The discussion, not just the number, aligns the team on what the work actually involves.
- It's more accurate than solo estimates. Combining independent judgments tends to beat any single expert guess.
- It's fast and engaging. A good session keeps everyone involved and takes minutes per item.
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Start a free sessionWhat do the cards mean?
Planning poker cards use a non-linear scale (most often Fibonacci) because estimates get less precise as work gets bigger. The jump from 1 to 2 is meaningful; the jump from 40 to 41 is noise. Special cards usually include a ? ("I don't know / need more info") and a ☕ ("I need a break"). Learn more in our guide to planning poker cards and scales.
Planning poker vs. other estimation methods
| Method | Best for | Trade-off |
|---|---|---|
| Planning poker | Sprint backlog items, shared understanding | Needs the whole team present |
| T-shirt sizing | Quick, rough sizing of big lists | Less precise |
| Affinity mapping | Estimating dozens of items fast | Less discussion per item |
| Expert guess | Trivial or one-off tasks | Biased, no team buy-in |
Common questions
Is planning poker only for software teams?
No. Any team that plans work in iterations — marketing, design, ops — can use it to size tasks collaboratively.
What if the team can't agree?
Time-box the discussion. If two adjacent values remain (say 5 vs 8), the team can simply pick the higher one, or split the item into smaller pieces.
Do estimates convert to hours?
Not directly. Most teams estimate in story points — a relative measure of effort — and use their historical velocity to forecast timelines.