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• Jake Ferguson

  
   

  August 13, 2010 3:36:15 PM EDT

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  I was just reading an article by Lou Krieger and he talks about Poker props for a paragraph. A poker prop is a player who is payed by the casino to play in poker games. They still play with their own bankroll. Krieger says they aren't anything to be afraid of, they usually play no better or worse than regular players, and don't have any significant advantage because they're paid by the casino. But my question here is, has anyone ever been a poker prop? It sounds like it'd be really great.
• Anthony Martino

  

  • 494 posts
   

  August 13, 2010 4:02:25 PM EDT

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  You're paid an hourly wage to start games, so you'll need to be comfortable with short-handed play. Despite your wage, there are no guarantees you'll win when you play (i.e. if you suck @ poker then the "wage" you get won't matter, since you're responsible for having the bankroll to play in games and responsible for your losses, the casino isn't going to stake you to play)
  
  That's my understanding of it anyway, and I don't know what casinos offer this, if any nowadays. I would assume it would be smaller rooms that don't have as much traffic that are more likely to try and drum up business by having games started by props
  
  Did Lou mention any specific rooms that have this available?
• Jake Ferguson

  
   

  August 13, 2010 4:13:04 PM EDT

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  Yeah, what you say is true of course. I like short-handed games much more than with more people, hands down. So that's not a problem. I think you're right that it may be rare. Definitely you'll still want to play as well as possible. I only thought it'd be nice to be paid to play poker, rather than having to (though I'm certainly not complaining about having to pay for the advantages casinos provide). I wonder if many casinos have prop players and if it's easy to get hired as one.
  
  No, Lou didn't mention any - this was all he said...
  
  "Whenever a game is short, you're likely to encounter a proposition player, or prop. Props play on their own money but are paid a salary by the house to help start, or prop up, games. A prop's life is tough. They play in short-handed games, or games struggling to get off the ground. Props typically play no better, no worse than most regulars. Many cardroom newcomers panic at the thought of a prop in their game. Since the prop is paid an hourly wage by the casino, players often believe they have a big advantage. Not true. They gamble their own money, and as long as they are reliable and generally do not insult the clientele, management is happy with them. So long as they maintain a playing bankroll the house cares not a whit whether they win or lose."
  
  http://www.pokerpages.com/articles/archives/krieger10.htm
• Alex Baker

  
   

  August 13, 2010 7:59:59 PM EDT

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  props are actually at a slight disadvantage in no limit games. It's counter productive to bust a player out when you are trying to keep a game going so some times you have to play in a way to avoid getting all in with players who are likely to leave if they lose.
• Ronin1085 .

  

  • 417 posts
   

  August 13, 2010 8:05:30 PM EDT

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  Plus at a lot of places, if a player asks the dealer if there's a prop player, they have to tell you.
  
  I think these days they just mostly get a list together.  I think prop players are an era gone by.
  
  Maybe the tiny places do it
• Ian Ross

  

  • 270 posts
   

  August 14, 2010 2:47:33 AM EDT

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  I was once, a long time ago, paid an hourly rate by William Hill Poker when they first started out online. At the time I was losing as much as I was winning but a few dollars an hour seemed to tilt it in my favour.
  
  There were a few companies at the time offering this to get their numbers up and create more games to make themselves a force in online poker.
• Laszlo Csorba

  
   

  August 17, 2010 9:53:41 PM EDT

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  Proker props (online) are paid by a certain percentage of rakeback. Even 100% rakeback is possible - the only problem that when you are promised 100% rakeback - usually there's hardly any guy to play with.
• KENNA

  
   

  August 30, 2010 6:38:42 PM EDT

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  I played as a proposition player "Prop Player" for Crystal Park Casino and Hawaiian Gardens Casino from 1999-2004. I'm not sure how it works online or even if they have them but in a B & M it's pretty straight forward. You get paid hourly, usually between $20-$50 an hour depending on what limits you play.
  
  It is nice to have the income but the drawbacks are significant. Some of which are every professional poker players worst nightmare - you can't just leave if your running bad or not playing well. You have to play in bad games or short games - give up your seat when a regular customer comes in and the game is full. Be moved around constantly to fill the casino's needs. To overcome all of this you really can't play your regular game. The game a prop player usually tries to play is a break even game which is tough under those conditions. Then they make their money on their paycheck which can be significant.
  
  You have to be well disciplined and have great bankroll money management skills to survive as a prop in the long run. When playing against them realize that there is a huge difference between a successful winning prop and one who is trying to make it. The ones who are good for the game and like to gamble are usually the latter. The ones who play very tight, conservative but don't give anything away are the previous.
  
  In conclusion, it is a lot tougher grind then people realize both emotionally and physically. But then again I guess any job where you have to show up on time and punch a clock falls in that category. Best of luck,
  
  KJ
• Anthony Martino

  

  • 494 posts
   

  August 30, 2010 6:40:26 PM EDT

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  Thanks for chiming in Kenna, that was very informative!