bluffers

Bluffers are individuals who pretend to have a stronger position or different attributes than they actually do, with the aim of influencing others' beliefs or actions. Bluffing is most widely associated with competitive games such as poker, where a player may bet or raise to imply a strong hand despite a weak one. It can be pure bluff (feigning strength with no real back-up) or semi-bluff (betting with a hand that may improve later).

In game theory, bluffing is studied as a strategic action under incomplete information, relying on players' beliefs and the perceived likelihood of opponents' responses. Successful bluffing depends on timing, risk tolerance, and the ability to manage uncertainty, as well as 'tells'—or the absence thereof—that others may interpret.

Outside games, bluffing appears in negotiations, business, and politics, where individuals may misrepresent intentions, capabilities, or resources to gain advantage. Ethical and legal boundaries vary by context; bluffing may be permissible within a game's rules or social norms, but deceptive misrepresentation can cross into fraud or dishonesty in contracts and everyday life.

Psychological research links bluffing to theory of mind, risk assessment, and social signaling. In sports and performance scenarios, athletes and performers may bluff to underestimate opponents or influence crowd reactions.

Modern discussions distinguish deliberate deception from strategic uncertainty. The term 'bluffer' thus covers a range of behaviors from sanctioned strategic moves in games to broader, sometimes controversial, uses in negotiations and rhetoric.