bluff
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bluff
A deception or deceptive maneuver in which someone pretends to be in a stronger position than they actually are in order to unsettle others or get them to take a certain action.
Seine Drohung war nur ein Bluff, um uns einzuschüchtern.
His threat was just a bluff to intimidate us.
'Bluff' is a word borrowed from English and used the same way in German. It is very common in general usage and is not perceived as a foreign word.
Ich glaube nicht, dass er wirklich kündigen will. Das ist nur ein Bluff.
I don't think he really wants to quit. That's just a bluff.
Common verbs used with 'Bluff' are 'durchschauen' (to see through a bluff) and 'auf einen Bluff hereinfallen' (to fall for a bluff).
Er hat ihren Bluff sofort durchschaut.
He saw through her bluff immediately.
The word is often used in the context of games like poker, but also in negotiations or conflict situations when a person presents their position as stronger than it is.
Beim Pokern ist ein guter Bluff entscheidend für den Sieg.
In poker, a good bluff is crucial for victory.
fraud / cheating
'der Betrug' and 'der Bluff' both have to do with deception. However, 'Betrug' is much more serious: someone deliberately deceives others in order to gain an unlawful advantage, often money. It is a criminal offense. 'Bluff' means that someone acts as if they are stronger, more certain, or better prepared than they really are. This can happen in games, negotiations, or conversations, and it is not automatically a criminal offense. The words can be confused because both seem dishonest. The difference is: 'Betrug' often causes concrete harm and is serious in legal terms; 'Bluff' is more of a tactical deceptive maneuver.
Beim Kartenspiel war sein selbstsicheres Lächeln nur ein Bluff.
In the card game, his confident smile was just a bluff.
Die Polizei untersucht den Betrug, weil viele Kunden ihr Geld verloren haben.
The police are investigating the fraud because many customers lost their money.