The ups and downs of Poker Propping.
I suppose you can’t deny it, that whenever you hit a website that offers “120% rakeback” you feel like you have to take a closer look at it. Heck, any red-blooded poker player in their right mind would feel the same way. It doesn’t merely look like a good offer, it looks like an outstanding one.
If the website you find this offer on, goes on about how profitable and easy it is to be a prop player (because that’s what rakeback offers from 100% up are about) you might want to give it a second thought though.
Yes, propping can be extremely profitable. It can actually be better than a day-job, and it certainly has the potential to earn you a lot of money, BUT. (place a huge accent on “but” there).
If you’re a good and extremely constant poker player who already makes a living out of playing poker online, you can play a bunch of tables at different limits and stakes at the same time, as well as mix limit with NL without a problem, you’re probably the perfect candidate for propping. Oh, did I forget to mention you also have to be extremely good in short-handed and in heads-up confrontations?
That’s right, propping is an extremely profitable setup, but only for those who really know what they’re doing at the poker table. If you fall short of fulfilling all the above named criteria, you probably shouldn’t become a prop player. Here’s why:
As we poker players all know, table selection is a big part of winning online play. Naturally we always choose the best and “fishiest” tables, and that is probably a far bigger factor than we’d ever like to admit, in making us winners at the end of the day. As a prop player, you can forget about table selection. You’ll be stuck with the stingiest tightest, short-handed tables the room has to offer. If you were more or less constant winner before, that is sure to give you one rough reality-check.
On top of all that, you’ll be playing not one but two, or three of these above described tables. On your own money too, make no mistake about that. Those tables will be at different limits, sometimes in different (PL, FL, NL) variants. if you never had a headache problem before, this will sure set you up for some.
The good side of things is, that since you play virtually rake free (and you do get a little bit extra on top of it too) it’s enough if you manage to break even. It doesn’t even matter if you’re slight loser at the end of the month, you’ll still make nice money.
When you sign up do not believe for a second that all you have to do is play whenever you feel like it. Most of these prop offers come with minimum limits on the number of raked hands you are supposed to play in order to qualify. Again, you will be playing on your own money, and you will be forced to play. On the other hand though, anything you win will be yours as well as the payment you get for your services.
If you’re not famous for your mild temper, you might as well forget about ever becoming a prop. A prop player cannot treat other players rudely, no matter how they treat him. You can’t go around calling them “lucky fish” even though you know that’s exactly what they are.
The biggest challenge the propping deal will present you with is the following: you might believe you are a long term winner because you play in a loose, fish-flooded room with 30% rakeback and you break even at the end of the month. In reality however, that is by far not enough to make you a reasonable prop player.
Some poker rooms will make you play Omaha or some other less-popular poker variant, to generate action where it’s really lacking.
If you are indeed a good player, and you know you can beat tight games and prevail under hostile conditions, propping is a goldmine for you. At any rate, though, do not make a hasty decision about it. Do your research, check out our offers and choose the one that suits you the best.
