Purpose
The method helps clarify backlog, sprint work, and team flow in a concrete way. It sorts work by value, risk, and delivery capability. The result is captured as relative estimates, assumption notes, and split candidates.
Agile
Planning Poker
Turns backlog, sprint work, and team flow into a tangible result by presenting the item, clarifying questions, and discussing deviations before estimating again.
How large is this item relative to our reference stories, and which assumptions or risks drive variance within the group?
LowWorkshop + async2-5 min je Item
How it works
The team follows the steps: present the item, clarify understanding questions, choose a card in secret, reveal the estimates, and discuss deviations before estimating again. Each step is captured visibly. At the end, relative estimates, assumption notes, and split candidates are available so decisions, tests, or actions can follow directly.
Visual orientation
Method sketch for a quick mental model.
Flow
- 1Present the item
- 2Clarify understanding questions
- 3Choose a card in secret
- 4Reveal the estimates
- 5Discuss deviations and estimate again
The runsheet guides execution with 4 phases, timeboxes, 6 pitfalls, and clear stop criteria.
Open runsheetIdeal for
- Sprint planning
- Backlog refinement
- Team alignment
Not good for
- Very large backlogs
- Portfolio rough sizing
- Items without context
Deep dive
In detail
Planning Poker combines independent judgment with shared clarification. Secret selection reduces anchoring effects because strong voices do not shape the group immediately. Large differences are not treated as errors, but as signals for different assumptions, unclear acceptance criteria, or hidden risks. After a short discussion the team estimates again until a workable relative size emerges.
Facilitation
Prepare clear items, acceptance criteria, and a defined scale. Timebox the discussion so estimating does not turn into design work. When outliers appear, ask about assumptions rather than justification, and split items that remain too large or unclear.
Output artifacts
Relative EstimatesAssumption NotesSplit Candidates
Artifact templates
Planning Poker Working TemplateCompact working template for Planning Poker with context, input, output artifacts, and next step.markdown
Planning Poker Working TemplateCompact working template for Planning Poker with context, input, output artifacts, and next step.
markdownplanning-poker-working-template.md
Compact working template for Planning Poker with context, input, output artifacts, and next step.
Planning Poker Working Template
Goal
Collaborative estimation method where team members choose cards privately and discuss differences.
Context
When and for what do we use this method?
Input
Which data, observations, decisions, or materials are available?
Execution
Short notes along the runsheet.
Output artifacts
- Relative Estimates:
- Assumption Notes:
- Split Candidates:
Assumptions and open questions
- ...
Decision / Next step
Owner, date, and success signal.
When to choose differently
Short decision aid for existing alternatives.
Bucket System
Statt Planning Poker, wenn ihr viele Items in grobe Größenklassen einteilen wollt, ohne jedes einzeln zu schätzen.
Wideband Delphi
Statt Planning Poker, wenn ihr Schätzungen mit mehreren Expertenrunden belastbarer machen wollt.
Similar methods
All methodsAgile
T-Shirt Sizing
Turns backlog, sprint work, and team flow into a tangible result by explaining the scale, choosing reference items, and marking large items.
Agile
Bucket System
Moves backlog, sprint work, and team flow toward a concrete result through "prepare buckets and scale", "place reference items", and "flag large or unclear items".
Statt Planning Poker, wenn ihr viele Items in grobe Größenklassen einteilen wollt, ohne jedes einzeln zu schätzen.
Agile
Ideal Days
Moves backlog, sprint work, and team flow toward a concrete result through "explain the ideal day unit", "calibrate with a reference item", and "do not confuse it with calendar days".
Agile
Affinity Estimation
Turns backlog, sprint work, and team flow into a tangible result by preparing items as cards, building a relative size axis, and clarifying outliers and uncertainties.
Agile
Story Points
Moves backlog, sprint work, and team flow toward a concrete result through "choose reference stories", "define the scale", and "interpret velocity only within the team".
Agile
Scrum
Product Backlog, Sprint Goal, Increment, and retrospective loops create a repeatable cadence for complex product work.