June 15, 2026
How to Run a Planning Poker Session: Step-by-Step Guide
A practical walkthrough of running an effective Planning Poker estimation session, from preparation to final story points.
How to Run a Planning Poker Session
A good session produces useful estimates, reveals uncertainty and aligns the team without turning refinement into a long meeting.
Before the session
- Prepare 10 to 15 refined stories with acceptance criteria.
- Choose a reference story so the team has a shared scale.
- Open an online Planning Poker room for remote teams or prepare physical cards for co-located teams.
During the session
- Read the story and acceptance criteria.
- Answer factual questions without suggesting an estimate.
- Ask everyone to vote privately.
- Reveal all cards together.
- Let the highest and lowest estimators explain their reasoning.
- Vote again, but stop after a few rounds if the story needs refinement.
After the session
Record final estimates in your backlog tool and track team velocity over several sprints before making delivery forecasts.
Facilitation tips
- Time-box discussion per story.
- Send unclear stories back for refinement.
- Keep sessions under two hours.
- Rotate facilitation to build shared ownership.