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Planning Poker

This feature is behind the planning-poker feature flag. See Feature Flags for details.

Planning Poker enables teams to estimate work collaboratively using estimation scales. It uses real-time communication (SignalR) for live voting.

Estimation Scales​

An Estimation Scale defines the set of values available for voting (e.g., Fibonacci: 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 13, 21). Scales are configured in Settings > Planning > Estimation Scales and require at least 2 values.

Poker Sessions​

A Poker Session is a real-time estimation event:

  • Created by a Facilitator — the person who created it, shown in the sessions list
  • Uses a specific Estimation Scale (cannot be changed after rounds begin)
  • Contains Rounds — each round represents one item being estimated, with an optional label such as a work item ID
  • Sessions are immediately Active on creation, and stay Active until completed

The Planning Poker page lists sessions with Name, Status, Facilitator and Rounds. Completed sessions are hidden until Include Completed is switched on. A session's row menu offers Edit and Complete while it is active, and Delete.

Poker Session Detail Page​

The session page has a real-time, multi-column layout:

Center Column — Changes based on round status:

  • Lobby (no rounds yet) — Ready to estimate, with a box for the first round's label and Start. Those who cannot run the session see Waiting for the facilitator to start a round.
  • Voting — Participant cards showing who has voted (values hidden until reveal), Reveal Cards, and Your Estimate: the card deck for choosing your vote. Choose a card again to withdraw it
  • Revealed — All votes shown, with Average, Mode, Low and High, and a Consensus tag when the votes agree or Spread — discuss when they do not. Votes agree when the numeric votes are no more than 3 apart, or, on a scale without numbers, when everyone chose the same card. Re-vote clears the votes; Accept takes the mode, and its dropdown accepts any other value on the scale
  • Accepted — The accepted estimate, marked Estimated, with Reset & Re-vote

After an estimate is accepted, a new round starts automatically unless another round is already waiting for votes.

Right Sidebar — The Timeline of rounds, where you can select a round, add a round by label, or remove one, and the Complete Session button. Before the first round it lists the participants connected to the session instead. On a phone, the timeline opens from Session Timeline.

The header offers Edit (the session's name and, until rounds have started, its scale) and Copy Invite Link while the session is active.

Round Workflow​

  • Voting — Participants submit estimates from the card deck, and can change or withdraw them until the votes are revealed
  • Reveal — All votes are revealed simultaneously
  • Re-vote — Clear votes and any accepted estimate, and return to voting (for re-estimation)
  • Accept — Set the agreed estimate value

Real-time Features​

  • Live participant presence indicators
  • Real-time vote updates via SignalR
  • Copy invite link to share session

Business Rules​

  • Sessions are immediately activated on creation
  • Rounds can only be added, changed or removed, and votes cast, while the session is active
  • The estimation scale cannot change after rounds begin
  • Only active sessions can be completed
  • Running a session — starting, revealing, re-voting and accepting rounds, and completing it — needs the Update Poker Sessions permission, and so does voting. It is not limited to the facilitator

Common Tasks​

Running a Planning Poker Session​

  1. Navigate to Planning > Planning Poker
  2. Click Create Session
  3. Enter a session Name and select an Estimation Scale
  4. Share the link with participants using Copy Invite Link
  5. Enter the first item's label and click Start; add further rounds from the timeline
  6. Reveal Cards when all participants have voted
  7. Accept an estimate or Re-vote
  8. Complete Session when estimation is done