Definition
Planning poker is an agile estimation technique used by development teams to determine the effort required for completing product backlog items. Participants are given a deck of cards, each representing a relative effort or story point value, and simultaneously reveal their chosen card after discussing the item. This method encourages team consensus and helps uncover different perspectives on complexity or risk during estimation. For example, a team might use planning poker to estimate the story points for developing a new user authentication feature, with discussions arising from varied card reveals. Unlike absolute time estimates, planning poker focuses on relative sizing, making it more adaptable to changing project scopes. This technique is frequently encountered in agile project management certifications like PMI-ACP, CAPM, and PMP.