What Is the Reason to Use Planning Poker in Scrum?

Planning poker is a scrum estimation technique for estimating the effort of tasks in software development. It is a variation of the Wideband Delphi method.

Planning poker is usually played with cards. Each card has a value from 1 to 21, with the exception of the Joker card, which has a value of 0.

The values represent the estimated effort required to complete a task, with the Joker being the Lowest estimate and 21 being the highest.

PRO TIP:Planning poker is a great way to ensure that everyone on the team is giving the same level of effort and contributing to the task. It helps to remove any biases or preconceived notions by having team members estimate tasks based on their individual knowledge. This helps to prevent arguments and disagreements, while also creating a more unified team. It also helps to keep everyone motivated as they work towards completing their tasks in an agreed-upon time frame.

Players are given a deck of cards and each player selects a card to represent their estimate. The estimates are then compared and the player with the highest estimate wins.

If there is a tie, the players who tied select another card to represent their new estimate.

The reason to use planning poker in scrum is to help ensure that all members of the scrum team are on the same page when it comes to estimating the effort required for tasks. By using planning poker, teams can avoid issues such as anchoring, where one team member’s estimate dominates the discussion.