THE GAMBLER 
 
        C                           F             C 
  On a warm summer's evenin' on a train bound to nowhere, 
      F             C                                  G 
  I met up with a gambler; we were both too tired to sleep. 
       C                               F             C 
  So we took turns a starin' out the window at the darkness 
        F           C        G               C 
  'til boredom overtook us, and he began to speak. 
 
 
             C                            F                C 
  He said, "Son, I've made a life out of readin' people's faces, 
    F                  C                                   G 
  knowin' what their 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, 
 F                  C                              G 
  then he bummed a cigarette and asked me for the 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                          G 
  know when to walk away and know when to run. 
             C                            F              C 
  You never count your money when you're sittin' at the table, 
               F               C       G                   C      C  D  D 
  there'll be time enough for countin'  when the dealin's done. 
 
 
 D                              G            D 
  Ev'ry gambler knows that the secret to survivin' 
       G                D                            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." 
 
 
 D                                     G                       D 
  And when he'd finished speakin', he turned back towards the window, 
 G                 D                          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. 
 
 
               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                            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.