bluffing
Pretending you're strong
Bluffing is pretending to have strength, knowledge, or intentions you don't actually possess.
The term comes from poker, where players bet aggressively on weak hands to intimidate opponents into folding: He was bluffing with a pair of twos.
The concept extends to any situation involving strategic deception: She's bluffing about having another job offer.
Deliberate falsehood
- fibTrivial, harmless falsehood
- misleadCause false belief
- pretenseDeceptive outward show
- feintDeceptive mock attack
fabrication · falsehood · hoax · trickery · con · fraud · charlatan · imposture
Deceptive mock attack
- misdirectionIntentional focus manipulation
- gambitRisky opening for advantage
- ployCalculated deceptive tactic
- maneuverDeliberate tactical movement
tactics · outwit · counterplay · positioning · foresight · calculation · anticipate · scheme
Posts or wagers
- wagerStake on uncertainty
- oddsLikelihood expressed numerically
- bettingStaking money on outcomes
- chanceLikelihood of occurrence
uncertainty · speculation · gamble · probability · exposure · vulnerability · high-stakes · all-or-nothing
lie
Deliberate falsehood
feint · fabrication · falsehood · hoax · trickery · con · fraud · charlatan · imposture · dishonesty
feint
Deceptive mock attack
- misdirectionIntentional focus manipulation
- gambitRisky opening for advantage
- ployCalculated deceptive tactic
maneuver · tactics · outwit · counterplay · positioning · foresight · calculation · anticipate · scheme · deception
raise
Lift or increase
all-in · showdown · river · flop · turn · ante · kicker · nuts · button · position
stakes
Posts or wagers
chance · uncertainty · speculation · gamble · probability · exposure · vulnerability · high-stakes · all-or-nothing
threaten
Promise harm or punishment
dominance · menacing · scare · pressure · daunting · assertive · commanding · deterrence · coercion · bullying
- animal defensespoison, venom, toxin, toxins, horns
- dirty trickscheating, lying, deceit, trickery, deception
- strategic choicesprisoners dilemma, chicken game, zero-sum game, tradeoff, gambit
- game playrules, scoring, turns, winning, losing
- gamesboard games, card games, board game, card game, video games
- tabletop gamesboard games, board game, card games, card game, backgammon
bluffingbeing honest
Stating facts sincerely
telling the truth · honesty · sincere · truthful · candid
bluffingrevealing
Making known what's hidden
laying cards on the table · disclosing · exposing · coming clean · confessing