Despite a quarter-century of emphasizing sports, the Entertainment and Sports Programming Network has been working more on the entertainment portion of its name in recent years.

The results have been uneven, to say the least, from the high-powered Dale Earnhardt biopic “3” to the laughable “Hustle,” which featured Tom Sizemore with what looked like a beaver on his head portraying Pete Rose.

Now comes ESPN’s second original scripted series, “Tilt,” which debuts at 9 p.m. Thursday. Its executive producers are the series creators Brian Koppleman and David Levien (“Rounders”), and Orly Adelson, who also produced the network’s first series, the too-realistic pro football drama “Playmakers,” canceled by ESPN executives after one season to appease the NFL.

This time, the network is gambling on a series set in the world of high-stakes poker, perhaps hoping to cash in on the recent handful of poker series on cable networks. (I’m still waiting for dogs to play poker on Animal Planet.)

The show’s name refers to that sinking, unavoidable sense that, no matter what you do, the cards aren’t going to fall your way.

“Tilt” is more about mind games than card games. It’s also a revenge drama, with three young gamblers surreptitiously teaming up to take down the legendary card player who wronged them, Don “The Matador” Everest. Also targeting Everest is a small-town cop whose brother was ruined by him. Helping out Everest is Bart “Lowball” Rogers, manager at the Colorado Casino in Las Vegas, where the World Poker Championships are being held.

The magnetic Michael Madsen (“Reservoir Dogs,” “Kill Bill”) as The Matador holds sway over “Tilt,” as he has on many movies and series over his illustrious career.

It’s tough to make a mark at 9 p.m. Thursdays, thanks to that other show set in Las Vegas. But the promising “Tilt” won’t fold easily.