Why Bluffing Isn't Always Just "Harmless" Fun

"Bluffing has long been framed as the harmless tool of great poker players. But it's far more than that. Beneath Vegas victories and The Traitors sits a larger and more troubling phenomenon: bluffing is a mind game and often the first step in the slippery slope of deception. Bluffing isn't new. It has roots in game theory. What's changed is not bluffing itself, but where and how it's used, and how well it has been integrated."

"While different from lying or fraud, bluffing is a common behavior that can end in extreme criminality. Today, con artists are getting better at deception. Yet victims are no better at spotting it. Research shows people detect lies only about 54 percent of the time. If you Google how to bluff, advice focuses on misrepresentation. When bluffing is normalized, it lowers our guard elsewhere."

"What's striking is how the psychology of bluffing follows a repeatable pattern. The Psychology of the Bluff. Bluffing often begins as short-term opportunism and evolves into long-term deception. Successful bluffers are skilled in manipulation, emotional control and contrived signalling. They project a confidence or capability they may not possess. So what are the core elements of the successful bluff? First, demeanor works in the bluffer's favor. When we're positively disposed toward someone, we unconsciously attribute virtues like honesty, intelligence and trust."

Bluffing functions as a strategic mind game with roots in game theory and now appears across many social and commercial contexts. Bluffing differs from lying but can escalate into severe criminality when small misrepresentations compound. Con artists are refining deceptive techniques while detection rates remain low, around 54 percent. Normalization of bluffing lowers vigilance and contributes to surging scam losses, exceeding $1 trillion in 2024 and about $534 billion in business fraud worldwide. Psychologically, bluffing often begins as short-term opportunism that evolves into long-term deception by exploiting demeanor, emotional control, contrived signaling and present bias.

Read at Psychology Today