L.A. CONFIDENTIAL.

Byline: -- Tom Hoffarth

Poker isn't a sport, so stop pretending. You'd be hard pressed to convince anyone at ESPN of that these days (my apologies to my pal, Norman Chad, who says they can call it whatever they want as long as the checks clear). ESPN is also the network trying to pass off dominos, darts and paintball as legit, while backing away from the NHL.

GSN -- otherwise known as the Game Show Network -- is where the real cards are dealt for our taste. We don't play, by the way. But we'll watch it now and then, if the choice is that or the WNBA.

We have our TiVo set for Monday, which is Opening Day in GSN land for the card games.

The second season of ``High Stakes Poker,'' the only version played for real cash, launches at 6p.m. from the Palms in Vegas.

Right after that, the ``World Series of Blackjack,'' with $1 million in prize money, starts its third season.