Intro
C F C F C Am G
C F C F C G C
verse 1
C F C
On a warm summer's evening, on a train bound for nowhere
F C Am G
I met up with a gambler, we were both too tired to sleep
C F C
So we took turns a-staring out the window at the darkness
F C G C
The boredom overtook us and he began to speak
C F C
He said, "Son, I've made my life out of reading people's faces
Am C Am G
And knowing what the cards were by the way they held their eyes
C F C
So if you don't mind my sayin', I can see you're out of aces
F C G C
For a taste of your whiskey, I'll give you some advice"
C F C
So I handed him my bottle and he drank down my last swallow
Am C Am G
Then he bummed a cigarette and asked me for a light
C F C
And the night got deathly quiet, and his face lost all expression
F C G C
Said, "If you're gonna play the game, boy, you gotta learn to play it right"
C F C
You got to know when to hold 'em, know when to fold 'em
F C Am G
Know when to walk away, know when to run
C G C F C
You never count your money when you're sittin' at the table
F C G C
There'll be time enough for countin', when the dealin's done
verse 2
C F C
Now, every gambler knows, the secret to survivin'
Am C Am G
Is knowing what to throw away, knowing what to keep
C F C
'Cause every hand's a winner and every hand's a loser
Am C G C
And the best you can hope for, is to die in your sleep
C F C
So when he'd finished speakin', he turned back toward the window
Am C Am G
Crushed out his cigarette and faded off to sleep
C F C
Then somewhere in the darkness, the gambler he broke even
F C G C
But in his final words, I found an ace that I could keep
C F C
You got to know when to hold 'em, know when to fold 'em
F C Am G
Know when to walk away, know when to run
C G C F C
You never count your money when you're sittin' at the table
F C G C
There'll be time enough for countin', when the dealin's done