Crossword Genius

Perhaps bluffers got involved in robberies, wiping out hotel (8)

Ross

I believe the answer is:

egotists

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'perhaps bluffers' is the definition.
I can't tell whether this definition defines the answer.

'got involved in robberies wiping out hotel' is the wordplay.
'involved in' indicates putting letters inside.
'robberies' becomes 'heists' (heist is a kind of robbery).
'wiping out' is a deletion indicator.
'hotel' becomes 'h' (phonetic alphabet: alpha, bravo, charlie etc.).
'heists' with 'h' removed is 'eists'.
'got' going into 'eists' is 'EGOTISTS'.

Can you help me to learn more?

(Other definitions for egotists that I've seen before include "Conceited and self-centered people" , "The selfish" , "People with exaggerated notions of their own importance" , "They have an exaggerated sense of their own importance" , "Self-centred self-seekers" .)

I've seen this clue in The Independent.
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