I was proposition poker player at the Turf Club in Cripple Creek 25 years ago. The difference between a prop and a shill was, a prop got paid by the hour to play with their own money and keep what they won (or lose what they lost) while a shill played with house money strictly for the hourly wage. Shills were pretty rare in the 90's - I only knew one at one casino. Every casino that had poker had props back then. I don't think any casinos have them now. Back then, the games were all limit poker. Since then, No Limit games made it impossible for a prop to plan on grinding it out for 10-12 hours a day, 3 or more days a week.