Any new TV series is a gamble.

But in the case of cable channel FX, a relative neophyte in the area of original programming, the stakes are especially high, as executives there had to choose a show to launch following the critical acclaim given to their daring drama, “The Shield.”

FX has decided to roll the dice with “Lucky,” a dramedy set in Las Vegas, which focuses on a gambler down on his luck and the chaos that happens around him. It debuts at 10 tonight.

As the series open, Michael “Lucky” Linkletter wins the million-dollar grand prize in the World Championship of Poker. But less than a year later, he’s down and out, mourning the loss of his wife, eking out a living as a car salesman and trying to kick his gambling addiction.

Brothers Robb and Mark Cullen, the show’s creators, smartly cast John Corbett in the lead role. Corbett (“My Big Fat Greek Wedding,” “Sex and the City”) manages to make Lucky likable and shows his inner decency, despite his regular lapses into his old habits.

Standouts in the cast are stand-up comics Bill Gardell and Craig Robinson, who play the hustlers Vinny Sticcarelli and Mutha LeGendre, the loyal sidekicks who will do anything for Lucky. Ever Carradine (“Once and Again”) plays realtor Theresa Phillips, whose life begins to fall apart because of her gambling addiction and who turns to Lucky for help.

“Lucky” shows viewers the seedy side of Vegas, an area that the tourists never see, where the junkies, the con men and the gamblers hang out. The neon-lighted city becomes a character in itself. Weaving in and out of the series are colorful characters created by such veteran actors as Seymour Cassel and Dan Hedaya.

The series manages to seamlessly blend an often-sick sense of humor with genuine pathos. “Lucky” isn’t the royal straight flush that “The Shield” is, but it’s still a winning hand.