Intro 
C F C F C Am G
C F C F C G  C 

verse 1 
C                           F                   C 
On a warm summer's evening, on a train bound for nowhere 
F                 C              Am                 G 
I met up with a 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   G              C 
The boredom overtook us and he began to speak 
           C                      F                       C  
He said, "Son, I've made my life out of reading people's faces 
Am                   C                 Am                   G             
And knowing what the 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 
Am                C            Am             G 
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                   G               C 
Said, "If you're gonna play the game, boy, you gotta learn to play it right" 


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

verse 2 
C                          F                C  
Now, every gambler knows, the secret to survivin' 
Am                 C           Am              G 
Is knowing what to throw away, knowing what to keep 
       C                         F              C    
'Cause every hand's a winner and every hand's a loser 
        Am           C                G           C 
And the best you can hope for, is to die in your sleep 

C                               F                         C 
So when he'd finished speakin', he turned back toward the window 
Am                   C         Am           G 
Crushed out his cigarette and faded off to sleep 
C                                    F                C 
Then somewhere in the darkness, the gambler he broke even 
F                 C                 G                C 
But in his final words, I found an ace that I could keep 


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