[Intro] D#7  G#  D#7  G#

      D#
On a warm summer's evenin'
     G#              D#
On a train bound for nowhere
  G#              D#
I met up with the gambler
                          A#
We were both too tired to sleep
   D#
So we took turns a starin'
        G#            D#
Out the window at the darkness
     G#           D#
'Til boredom overtook us
A#                 D#
   And he began to speak

          D#
He said, "Son, I've made my life
       G#               D#
Out of readin' people's faces
    G#                 D#
And knowin' what their cards were
                           A#
By the way they held their eyes
   D#
So if you don't mind my sayin'
      G#                D#
I can see you're out of aces
      G#            D#
For a taste of your whiskey
     A#              D#
I'll give you some advice"

     D#
So I handed him my bottle
       G#                 D#
And he drank down my last swallow

Then he bummed a cigarette
                   A#
And asked me for a light
        D#
And the night got deathly quiet
        G#              D#
And his face lost all expression
                 G#                   D#
Said, "If you're gonna play the game, boy
         A#               D#
Ya gotta learn to play it right

           D#
You got to know when to hold 'em
G#           D#
Know when to fold 'em
G#           D#
Know when to walk away
                 A#7
And know when to run
          D#
You never count your money
            G#             D#
When you're sittin' at the table
            G#              D#
There'll be time enough for countin'
A#7                 D#
  When the dealin's done

( D# )

E
Every gambler knows
          A           E
That the secret to survivin'

Is knowin' what to throw away
                    B7
And knowing what to keep
       E
'Cause every hand's a winner
    A              E
And every hand's a loser
        A                 E
And the best that you can hope for
       B7         E
Is to die in your sleep"

     E
And when he'd finished speakin'
   A                        E
He turned back towards the window

Crushed out his cigarette
                 B7
And faded off to sleep
     E
And somewhere in the darkness
     A                 E
The gambler, he broke even
    A            E
But in his final words I found
   B7               E
An ace that I could keep

           E
You got to know when to hold 'em
A            E
Know when to fold 'em
A            E
Know when to walk away
                 B7
And know when to run
          E
You never count your money
            A              E
When you're sittin' at the table

There'll be time enough for countin'
B7                  E
  When the dealin's done

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