Tuning D# G# C# F# A# d# 


Verse  

    E                            A             E 
On a warm summer's evenin' on a train bound for nowhere, 
E                                                    B7 
I met up with the gambler; we were both too tired to sleep. 
   E                               A              E 
So we took turns a starin' out the window at the darkness 
                          B7              E 
'til boredom overtook us, and he began to speak. 


verse 2  

         E                             A                E 
He said, "Son, I've made a life out of readin' people's faces, 
                                                             B7 
and knowin' what their cards were by the way they held their eyes. 
       E                               A                 E 
And if you don't mind my sayin', I can see you're out of aces. 
      A             E            B7            E 
For a taste of your whiskey I'll give you some advice." 


verse 3  

     E                           A                  E 
So I handed him my bottle and he drank down my last swallow. 
                                               B7 
Then he bummed a cigarette, and asked me for a light. 
        E                                A                 E 
And the night got deathly quiet, and his face lost all expression. 
                 A               E                  B7               E 
Said, "If you're gonna play the game, boy, ya gotta learn to play it right. 


[Refrão]
           E                     A             E 
You got to know when to hold 'em, know when to fold 'em, 
A            E                          B7 
know when to walk away and know when to run. 
          E     A    E                 A              E 
You never count your money when you're sittin' at the table. 
             A              E        B7                E 
There'll be time enough for countin' when the dealin's done. 


verse 4 (Key change) 

F                            Bb            F 
Ev'ry gambler knows that the secret to survivin' 
                                                  C7 
is knowin' what to throw away and knowing what to keep. 
       F                         Bb             F 
'Cause ev'ry hand's a winner and ev'ry hand's a loser, 
        Bb                F              C7          F 
and the best that you can hope for is to die in your sleep." 


Verse 5 

    F                               Bb                      F 
And when he'd finished speakin', he turned back towards the window, 
                                           C7 
crushed out his cigarette and faded off to sleep. 
    F                             Bb                F 
And somewhere in the darkness the gambler, he broke even. 
    Bb           F                C7               F 
But in his final words I found an ace that I could keep. 


[Refrão]
           F                      Bb            F 
You got to know when to hold 'em, know when to fold 'em, 
Bb           F                          C7 
know when to walk away and know when to run. 
          F     Bb   F                 Bb             F 
You never count your money when you're sittin' at the table. 
             Bb             F        C7                F 
There'll be time enough for countin' when the dealin's done.