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.
poker
Both words can fit a negotiation in which the participants conceal their true intentions. Poker refers to the entire risky tactical struggle. A Bluff, by contrast, is a single deceptive maneuver in which someone makes their own position appear stronger.
Seine Behauptung, einen besseren Käufer zu haben, war nur ein Bluff.
His claim that he had a better buyer was just a bluff.
Die Verhandlung über den Preis wurde zu einem riskanten Poker.
The price negotiation turned into a risky game of poker.
