planningpoker

Planning Poker Cards and Fibonacci Values Explained

Planning poker cards give every teammate the same small set of estimation choices. The deck encourages relative comparison and makes uncertainty visible when participants select very different values.

Updated 2026-09-20 · Free, no account required

Create a planning poker room

The standard Fibonacci deck

A common deck contains 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 13, and 21. The gaps grow because uncertainty usually grows with the size of the work. Teams can compare small stories closely while treating a large value as a prompt to clarify or split the story.

Special planning poker cards

Some decks include 0 for work that is effectively complete, a question mark when there is not enough information, and a coffee card when the group needs a pause. Define these cards before the session so participants use them consistently.

Fibonacci, T-shirt sizes, or custom values

Fibonacci works well for refined backlog items. T-shirt sizes such as small, medium, and large suit early rough sizing. A half-point or custom scale can work when the team has a clear reason for it, but more choices do not automatically make an estimate more accurate.

Frequently asked questions

Why do planning poker cards skip numbers?

Wider gaps reflect growing uncertainty and discourage debates over precision the team cannot support.

What does the question-mark card mean?

It means the participant lacks enough information to estimate responsibly. The facilitator should clarify the story before continuing.