[Intro] D  G  D  G

      D
On a warm summer's evenin'
       G             D
On a train bound for nowhere
  G                D
I met up with the gambler
                          A
We were both too tired to sleep
   D
So we took turns a starin'
        G              D
Out the window at the darkness
      G           D
'Til boredom overtook us
A                D
And he began to speak

                 D
He said, "Son, I've made my life
        G                D
Out of readin' people's faces
      G                 D
And knowin' what their cards were
                           A
By the way they held their eyes
    D
So if you don't mind my sayin'
      G                 D
I can see you're out of aces
      G              D
For a taste of your whiskey
      A               D
I'll give you some advice"

      D
So I handed him my bottle
       G                   D
And he drank down my last swallow

Then he bummed a cigarette
    G               A
And asked me for a light
        D
And the night got deathly quiet
        G                D
And his face lost all expression
       G                         D
Said, "If you're gonna play the game, boy
         A                 D
Ya gotta learn to play it right

           D
You got to know when to hold 'em
G             D
Know when to fold 'em
G            D
Know when to walk away
                 A7
And know when to run
          D
You never count your money
            G              D
When you're sittin' at the table
       G                    D
There'll be time enough for countin'
A7                 D
When the dealin's done

E
Every gambler knows
          A           E
That the secret to survivin'
   E
Is knowin' what to throw away
    A                B7
And knowing what to keep
       E
'Cause every hand's a winner
    A               E
And every hand's a loser
        A                  E
And the best that you can hope for
       B7            E
Is to die in your sleep"

     E
And when he'd finished speakin'
   A                        E
He turned back towards the window
E
Crushed out his cigarette
                 B7
And faded off to sleep
     E
And somewhere in the darkness
     A                 E
The gambler, he broke even
    A              E
But in his final words I found
   B7                E
An ace that I could keep

          E
You got to know when to hold 'em
A             E
Know when to fold 'em
A            E
Know when to walk away
      A          B7
And know when to run
          E
You never count your money
            A              E
When you're sittin' at the table
       A                    E
There'll be time enough for countin'
B7                 E
When the dealin's done