If you ask many poker players what a prop player is, you're going to get a few different answers. Many people will look disgusted and call them "shills," say props are a bad thing. Some will look confused and say they think they're people who the poker room pays to play. You'll find plenty of people who don't know what it means to be a prop player.
Proposition players, or "props," are players hired by the casino or poker room to help keep their games full. They play with their own money (a "shill" is a player who's on the casino's dime) and keep all their profits, and have to deal with their losses, too. Prop players aren't all "professionals" in the game trying to beat the other customers. They are everyday players who are willing to follow some seating rules to earn money while they play. Their skill level can range from terrible to excellent, from beginner to seasoned player. You don't have to every worry when you're playing with a prop that the house is giving them any sort of extra edge or favors them at all. In fact, props sometimes could be said to lose a slight edge because they often do not pick which game they sit in and when they leave.
In Brick and Mortar (B&M) casinos, props are typically paid an hourly wage of $6-7 per hour. They are given a schedule like a regular employee and are expected to show up for their shift ready to play. You'll find them in smaller rooms and ones that need a little extra boost to keep their games alive. In Las Vegas, many of the off-strip and "local" casinos employ props. Finding job openings for props in a B&M casino is as easy as finding any job listing with a B&M casino. Simply visit casino websites or inquire in person in a poker room you know uses props and if they have openings, you can apply/
Online props are paid in the form of rakeback. The rates range anywhere from 60% all the way to 165%, but most often online props get about 100% rakeback. There are also a few sites out there who will pay props on a per-hand basis, but they are becoming less frequent. There are frequently special incentives, bonuses, and freerolls to reward props through the various sites they work for. Because online play allows for multi-tabling, online props have the chance to make very good money. A top prop playing 4 tables of $5/10 Limit Hold 'em can earn upwards of $50 an hour.
To obtain a job as an online prop, visit a site like Prop Team and fill out an application. It's simple, fast, and there are plenty of openings. A caveat for the potential prop: many sites who employ props do so only for certain stakes or games. You will be able to find a prop position at any stakes in any game, it's just a matter of on which site. The sites will not release their identity to props until they have signed up with the prop agency. They provide a summary to their potential employees of their pay rates and which games they need props in. You select which rooms you're interested in, and then let the prop agency know, and you get signed up from there.
Online props also have the advantage of being able to play whenever they what. Very few rooms limit the hours of the day that props can play. Most sites no longer have weekly hand requirements for their props, so if you need to take a week off and don't play a single hand, that's find. Conversely, if you want to play 10,000 hands in a week, that's fine, too! Propping online allows for much more flexibility than B&M propping. However, being a prop player is not for everyone. Many players experience burn out or have trouble beating the game consistently. Props are often pulled away from good games to start new tables, and some who are winning players at full handed games are not winning players short handed. With all this said, propping is a great way for some players to earn a phenomenal living. If you're willing to follow some simple seating rules (props usually cannot take the last seat in a game or play heads up with another prop for an extended period of time, etc.) and want to earn incredible rakeback, Propping could be the perfect job for you!
