I, for one, would be upset as a manager to find out that I had been lied to (and taken advantage of, really). I would have zero qualms about firing someone for negotiating like this. It's fine to say "Hey, someone else over here thinks I'm worth more, and I'm inclined to agree with them - are you?" It's not fine to say it if it's not true. I'm also not super-impressed with the leveraging of a tough moment in the company to extract more $$. It's not dishonest, although if I were your manager in that situation, I'd be looking for a replacement.<p>My take on this whole idea is this: instead of focusing on how big your balls are, focus on how much value you can bring to the company. Your monetary compensation will reflect that (and actual honest negotiating techniques are recommended).