What is a prop player or proposition player, also known as a house player? We’ll explain with a scenario.
It’s after midnight at your local casino. The poker in most card rooms dies down around this time, but not yours. Chips and cards move back and forth at the $1/$2 and $2/$5 games, each table nearly full. Then you notice that some players are wearing badges or cards.
These poker players have a steady pace, aren’t splashing chips around, and understand the game. Curious, you take a closer look at one of their badges and discover, they are a prop player.
Let’s explain what these prop players do for casinos.
The Role of a Prop Poker Player
Before reading that last part, you might have thought that every player at poker tables is a customer. You may have thought everyone there has the same motive and agenda. Either they came to have a good time or overcome their opponents for profit, right?
But there’s another type of person called a prop player, house player. Their role is to sit at empty or quiet tables, play the game they are instructed to, and play it fairly. While they are on the clock, they are working for something called a TPPPS, or Third Party Proposition Player Service.
The California government defines a TPPPS as:
“A TPPPS is a business that provides services in and to a gambling establishment under any written, oral, or implied agreement with the gambling establishment, which services include play as a participant in any controlled game that has a rotating player-dealer position as permitted by Penal Code section 330.11.”
Even renowned legend Bill Boyd was a prop player at one point, while he managed The Nugget in Las Vegas. Using his reputation, he attracted new players and generated action. When he claimed personal losses from 1973 to 1975, the IRS refused him, saying the losses were business expenses. (Case No. 84-1828.)
Do Casinos Hire Prop Players Directly?
A prop player is usually employed by a third party, not directly by the casino. Then, the third party is hired by gaming establishments to bolster player numbers. This is clearly to cut down on obvious conflicts of interest.
Through a contract, cardrooms and casinos can hire the services of a third-party company that manages groups of prop players. Plenty of casinos have been known to use prop players in the past, including Hustlers Casino, The Bicycle, and plenty of other well-known brands.
Do Prop Players Make Decent Money?
Unlike traditional employees, a prop poker in poker games must look beyond their hourly rate. They usually play, tip dealers, and cover other expenses with their personal bankroll. On top of this, they receive an hourly wage. Depending on the game, this could get higher or lower. For example, playing high-stakes blackjack could pay more than the $1/$2 Texas Holdem tables.
In a 2016 court case (Docket No. 18289-15S), a husband and wife stated that they made $16,800 together while prop playing for Hustlers Casino. It’s not exactly a life-changing sum, especially for two US residents.
Hourly, a prop player could expect a wage of $10, up to $40 or beyond, according to the games. But, it's a double-edged sword. Dipping into the red could mean working for a day and being down money.
A top employee of the Double Eagle and Gold Creek Casino in Colorado had this to say:
“You’ve got to wager what you’ll make for the day into the game and try to not lose it. I wouldn’t do that job in a million years. I prefer to go to a job where I’m guaranteed to make money.”
What Rules Do Prop Players Follow?
In California, these third-party proposition players must display a badge in plain sight. Before being approved to play, there are permits, contracts, and information releases that players must complete.
Here are other rules that prop players usually follow, depending on their location:
- House players must operate during specific times and dates.
- Only one player from a TPPPS can play at each table at once.
- Prop players must pay the same fees as regular patrons.
TPPPS often face thorough investigations and checks before approval. The applying party’s “honesty, integrity, general character, reputation, habits, and financial and criminal history” are all considered.
Are Prop Players in Casinos Ethical?
Even though a house player doesn’t get paid directly by the casino they game in, are they ethically in the clear?
Some confuse prop players with shills, plants, or stooges, who are casino employees who play with the house's money and return winnings to their employer. Instead, a prop player must absorb any losses they have, but also pocket the winnings.
A shill has a vested interest in the casino profiting. It’s unlikely that they have been completely eliminated from live poker. After all, there are casinos in all corners of the globe, with different levels of morality. In American jurisdictions, shills are usually banned and the practice is frowned upon.
It could be said that prop players must prioritize their own money and thus, have a more pure agenda. Still, they are indirectly paid by casinos, so the ethics will always be debatable.
Up until recently, you could see online job postings for prop players at various casinos. They may be less in demand these days or hired more covertly. Either way, prop-playing gigs are harder to come by. New or low-traffic casinos are the most likely employers.
Do Online Poker Sites Use Prop Players?
As we’ve explained in our poker room reviews, certain sites operate with integrity, and others don’t. On sites like Jack Poker with reports of bots, it’s usually impossible to know who’s operating the programs. Prop players and bots are similar in this regard.
Live poker proposition players usually must identify themselves with a card, but online, that probably isn’t possible. Also, many poker sites are regulated outside of the US, where proposition gambling laws are likely relaxed or nonexistent. However, due to player traffic in most online rooms, prop players might not be necessary.
You can be sure that if any major poker operator were using prop players or shills, it would cause an uproar. The negative impacts would probably far outweigh the benefits, because reputation is quite important to a site’s bottom line. Without it, online poker businesses can slowly fail.
Always evaluate a poker site thoroughly and check reviews to find the fairest games online.
