What is planning poker?
Planning poker combines individual judgment with a short team conversation. A facilitator reads a story, everyone selects a card, and the estimates stay hidden until the reveal. The group then talks through the outliers and votes again when the story needs more detail.
Why keep estimates hidden?
A simultaneous reveal reduces anchoring. The first number spoken in a meeting can pull every later estimate toward it, even when the first number is based on a different assumption. Private cards let each person reason independently before the discussion starts.
A simple round structure
Share a clear story, answer questions, choose a card, reveal the estimates, discuss the spread, and record the estimate the team can support. Keep the conversation about assumptions and scope rather than defending a person’s number.