Scrum Poker for Distributed Teams: How to Run Remote Estimation Sessions

Why Scrum Poker Works for Remote Teams

Scrum Poker (Planning Poker) prevents anchoring bias — when the first person to speak influences everyone else's estimate. Each person votes independently, then the results are revealed simultaneously.

How to Run Remote Planning Poker

1. Pick a time that works for the whole team — Use ClockHive's Meeting Planner.
2. Share the backlog items in advance — Give everyone 24 hours to review.
3. Use a digital tool — ClockHive's free Scrum Poker tool (no sign-up needed).
4. Discuss outliers — If one person voted 3 and another voted 13, let them explain their reasoning.
5. Re-vote until consensus — Usually takes 2-3 rounds per story.

Fibonacci vs T-Shirt Sizing

• Fibonacci (1,2,3,5,8,13,21) — Best for teams that need precise estimates.
• T-Shirt (XS,S,M,L,XL) — Best for high-level roadmap planning.
• Modified Fibonacci — Add 20, 40, 100 for very large items.