How to Play Planning Poker
in Six Simple Steps
Planning poker is a collaborative estimation game for agile teams. Everyone votes privately with Fibonacci cards, reveals together, discusses differences, and agrees on story points.
What Is Planning Poker?
Also called scrum poker, it turns story sizing into a structured round: discuss the work, pick a card, reveal as a group, then talk through outliers until the team converges.
Step-by-Step: How Planning Poker Works
Use this flow in any sprint planning or backlog refinement session
Start a planning poker room and name it for your sprint or refinement meeting. Share the link with the team.
Teammates open the link and enter a display name. No accounts needed—just show up and get ready to vote.
Facilitators enter the story or ticket under discussion so everyone estimates the same piece of work.
Each person selects a Fibonacci card (0, 0.5, 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 13, 21, 34). Votes stay hidden until reveal.
When everyone has voted, reveal all cards at once. Look for consensus or a wide spread that needs discussion.
High and low voters explain assumptions. Clarify scope, then reset and vote again until the team agrees.
Why Private Votes Matter
If people announce estimates out loud, the first number anchors the room. Hidden cards keep independent judgment intact until everyone is ready.
Tips for Better Planning Poker Games
- Explain the story before the first vote
- Include developers, QA, and design
- Focus discussion on the biggest outliers
- Split stories that stay stuck at large sizes
- Keep rounds short to protect energy
- Use the leaderboard to spot quiet voters
- Invite remote teammates with one link
- Play from desktop or mobile
Practice Beats Theory
Reading the rules helps—but running one real round with your team makes the flow stick. Start a free session and walk through the steps live.
Ready to Play Planning Poker?
Create a free session, invite your team, and run your first estimation round in minutes—no sign up required.