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