Planning Poker
Online planning poker for agile team estimation. Choose from 4 card sets — Fibonacci, Modified Fibonacci, T-shirt sizes, and Powers of 2 — to estimate user story points with simultaneous vote reveal and estimation history.
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How to Use
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- 1
Set up the session
Select a card set (Fibonacci, T-shirt sizes, etc.) and add participant names. Enter the story title and description.
- 2
Cast votes
Each participant selects a card to vote. After everyone has voted, click 'Reveal Votes' to show all votes simultaneously.
- 3
Review and record results
Review the voting results including average, median, and distribution. Once consensus is reached, click 'Next Story' to proceed and save the estimate to history.
Card Set
Session
Participants
Enter each participant's name
What is Planning Poker?
Voting
Estimation History
No estimation history
What is Planning Poker?
Planning Poker is a consensus-based estimation technique used by Agile/Scrum development teams to estimate user story effort. Each team member independently selects a card and reveals it simultaneously, which prevents anchoring bias (being influenced by others' opinions) and leads to more accurate and fair estimates. This tool can be used online, making it easy for remote teams to conduct Planning Poker sessions.
Key Features
- Multiple card sets including Fibonacci, T-shirt sizes, and powers of 2
- Simultaneous reveal of all participants' votes
- Automatic calculation of average, median, mode, and distribution
- Estimation history recording and export
- Story title and description fields to clarify estimation targets
Use Cases
- Estimating story points for a sprint backlog during sprint planning
- Running remote estimation sessions over Zoom or Google Meet with distributed teams
- Surfacing disagreements early — when estimates diverge, the team discusses why before committing
- Onboarding new team members to the Fibonacci or T-shirt sizing scale
- Referencing past estimation history to improve accuracy in future sprints
- Aligning engineering and product on effort before writing Jira tickets
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Planning Poker?
Planning Poker is a consensus-based estimation technique used by agile development teams to estimate user story effort. Each team member independently selects a card and reveals it simultaneously, which prevents anchoring bias and leads to more accurate estimates.
Which card set should I choose?
The Fibonacci sequence (1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 13...) is the most popular choice as it reflects that larger tasks have higher uncertainty. If your team is not comfortable with numbers, starting with T-shirt sizes (S, M, L, XL) is a good alternative.
What should we do when votes vary significantly?
Ask the members who selected the highest and lowest values to explain their reasoning, then discuss as a team. This helps reveal information asymmetry and different assumptions, leading to more accurate estimates. After discussion, vote again.
When should I use the '?' card?
Use it when the story content is unclear and you cannot estimate, or when you feel information is insufficient. When '?' is selected, first have a discussion to clarify the story content.
Is the data saved?
Estimation history is only kept during your browser session. It resets on page reload, so please use the 'Export History' feature to save if needed.
How do you play planning poker?
1. Review the user story together. 2. Each member independently selects a card (hidden from others). 3. All cards are revealed simultaneously. 4. If estimates vary, discuss the highest and lowest values, then re-vote. This tool simulates simultaneous reveal with the 'Reveal Votes' button.
Why use Fibonacci numbers for estimation?
Fibonacci numbers (1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 13, 21…) have increasing gaps, reflecting that larger tasks are inherently less precise to estimate. Sequential numbers (1,2,3,4,5…) invite debates over small differences like 4 vs 5, while Fibonacci keeps teams focused on relative sizing.
Can I use planning poker with a remote team?
Yes, this tool runs entirely in the browser, so you can use it remotely via screen sharing. Each member selects their card, and the facilitator reveals all selections simultaneously.
How long does a planning poker session typically take?
About 2-5 minutes per user story. During backlog refinement or sprint planning, teams typically estimate 10-20 stories in 30 minutes to 1 hour.