Actor-turned-poker maven Gabe Kaplan usually calls the action as a commentator on GSN's "High Stakes Poker."

This week, however, he'll also be part of the action as top players ante up -- at least $100,000 each -- to participate in the show's third season, taping Wednesday and Thursday at the South Coast.

Kaplan's participation is akin to NFL analyst "John Madden putting his helmet on" and playing football, notes Kevin Belinkoff, GSN's programming vice president.

That makes Kaplan's fellow players (including Doyle Brunson and Daniel Negreanu) "very excited," Belinkoff adds. After hearing "Gabe commenting on their play" on TV, "they're looking forward to playing him -- and taking his money."

Two 12-hour games will provide 13 hourlong episodes, to debut in January.

Sonic booms: A Sonic Drive-in on East Charleston Boulevard provides the backdrop for seven 30-second spots touting the chain.

Unlike most made-in-Vegas projects, however, this one doesn't exploit Glitter City.

After all, the commercials "have to apply to every store," explains Greg Haflich, a Sonic marketing vice president. "We use Las Vegas for a place to shoot."

Shooting through Thursday and slated to air in January and February, the spots continue the chain's current reality TV-inspired ad campaign, which features spots improvised by performers who work from concept cards -- and without scripts.

Both Sonic teams will be featured in this week's shoot: "Two Guys" Pete Gross and TJ Jagodowski -- who've been touting the chain since 2003 -- and actors Molly Erdman and Brian Huskey, who began playing a married couple in ads last year.

Amazing racers: After meeting on "Survivor" and surviving "The Amazing Race," reality veterans Rob and Amber Mariano are reportedly racing again.

In Las Vegas for their Fox Reality series "Rob and Amber: Against the Odds," the couple may hit the Las Vegas Motor Speedway on Tuesday in connection with the Richard Petty Driving Experience.

Otherwise, Rob continues his quest to become a poker pro, in recent weeks playing at venues ranging from The Venetian to the Red Rock Resort, where Rob's poker mentor, Negreanu, offered expert advice.

Back in town: MTV, which filmed "The Real World" here in 2002 -- the Palms hasn't been the same since -- returns to Las Vegas this week for an untitled reality pilot.

Scheduled to shoot through Friday, locations range from the Strip to McCarran International Airport's Sunset Viewing Area off Sunset Road, which provides vistas of the east and west runways in addition to the airfield itself.

Carol Cling's Shooting Stars column appears Mondays. Contact her at 383-0272 or e-mail her at ccling@ reviewjournal.com.