Chords:
[A] [D] [Em/A] [G] [G/D]
e|---0------2------0------3------3----|
B|---2------3------0------0------0----|
G|---2------2------0------0------0----|
D|---2------0------2------0------0----|
A|---0-------------0------5------2----|
E|------------------------5------0----|
Verse 1
[D] [G/D] [D]
On a warm summer's evenin' on a train bound for nowhere,
[A]
I met up with the gambler; we were both too tired to sleep.
[D] [G/D] [D]
So we took turns a starin' out the window at the darkness
[G/D] [D] [A] [D]
'til boredom overtook us, and he began to speak.
Verse 2
[D] [G/D] [D]
He said, "Son, I've made a life out of readin' people's faces,
[A]
and knowin' what their cards were by the way they held their eyes.
[D] [G/D] [D]
And if you don't mind my sayin', I can see you're out of aces.
[G/D] [D] [A] [D]
For a taste of your whiskey I'll give you some advice."
Verse 3
[D] [G] [D]
So I handed him my bottle and he drank down my last swallow.
[A]
Then he bummed a cigarette and asked me for a light.
[D] [G] [D]
And the night got deathly quiet, and his face lost all expression.
[G] [D] [A] [D]
Said, "If you're gonna play the game, boy, ya gotta learn to play it right.
Chorus
[D] [G] [D]
You got to know when to hold 'em, know when to fold 'em,
[G] [D] [A]
know when to walk away and know when to run.
[D] [Em/A] [D] [G] [D]
You never count your money when you're sittin' at the table.
[G] [D] [A] [D]
There'll be time enough for countin' when the dealin's done.
[Slide capo to 2nd fret]
Verse 4
[D] [G] [D]
Ev'ry gambler knows that the secret to survivin'
[A]
is knowin' what to throw away and knowing what to keep.
[D] [G] [D]
'Cause ev'ry hand's a winner and ev'ry hand's a loser,
[G] [D] [A] [D]
and the best that you can hope for is to die in your sleep."
Verse 5
[D] [G] [D]
And when he'd finished speakin', he turned back towards the window,
[A]
crushed out his cigarette and faded off to sleep.
[D] [G] [D]
And somewhere in the darkness the gambler, he broke even.
[G] [D] [A] [D]
But in his final words I found an ace that I could keep.
Chorus
[D] [G] [D]
You got to know when to hold 'em, know when to fold 'em,
[G] [D] [A]
know when to walk away and know when to run.
[D] [Em/A] [D] [G] [D]
You never count your money when you're sittin' at the table.
[G] [D] [A] [D]
There'll be time enough for countin' when the dealin's done.
(Repeat chorus once and end)
