Blackjack Shills and props?

[Melissa]

I've heard of shills paid by the house to play poker and make tables look busy, but does this also happen in blackjack and other games? Are they gambling their own money or the house's? What's the difference between a shill and a prop player? Does paying people to play really work for casinos? I'm really baffled about how this works.

 

[AlltheAces]

As I've always heard it, shills tend to be casino staff and gamble house money to liven up tables and draw punters in. They're also sent out sometimes to mess up a good run or distract a player on a winning streak, so they aren't popular. Prop players are there to get tables going, get a basic wage from the casino, but supply their own bankroll and manage their own money. I think you'll find most casinos have both in use in various games including blackjack, not just poker.