C F C
On a warm summer's evening on a train bound for nowhere
G7
I met up with the 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 G7 C
Till boredom overtook us and he began to speak
F C
He said Son I've made a life out of reading people's faces
G7
And knowing what their cards were by the way they held their eyes
C F C
And if you don't mind my saying I can see you're out of aces
F C G7 C
For a taste of your whiskey I'll give you some advice
F C
So I handed him my bottle and he drank down my last swallow
G7
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
Said if you're gonna play the game boy
G7 C
ya gotta learn to play it right
C F C
You got to know when to hold 'em know when to fold 'em
F C G7
know when to walk away and know when to run
C F C
You never count your money when you're sitting at the table
F C G7 C
There'll be time enough for counting when the dealings done
F C
Every gambler knows that the secret to surviving
G7
Is knowing what to throw away and knowing what to keep
C F C
Cause every hand's a winner and every hand's a loser
F C G7 C
And the best that you can hope for is to die in your sleep
F C
And when he'd finished speaking he turned back towards the window
G7
Crushed out his cigarette and faded off to sleep
C F C
And somewhere in the darkness the gambler he broke even
F C G7 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 G7
know when to walk away and know when to run
C F C
You never count your money when you're sitting at the table
F C G7 C
There'll be time enough for counting when the dealings done
