D (xx0232@1)                          G (320003@1)           DOn (xx0232@1)a warm summer's evenin' on a train bound for nowhere,
D (xx0232@1)                                                  A7I (x02020@1)met up with the gambler; we were both too tired to sleep.
   D (xx0232@1)                             G (320003@1)            DSo (xx0232@1)we took turns a starin' out the window at the darkness
                          A7 (x02020@1)            D'til (xx0232@1)boredom overtook us, and he began to speak.

D (xx0232@1)                           G (320003@1)              DHe (xx0232@1)said, "Son, I've made a life out of readin' people's faces,
                                                             A7and (x02020@1)knowin' what their cards were by the way they held their eyes.
       D (xx0232@1)                             G (320003@1)               DAnd (xx0232@1)if you don't mind my sayin', I can see you're out of aces.
      G (320003@1)           D (xx0232@1)          A7 (x02020@1)          DFor (xx0232@1)a taste of your whiskey I'll give you some advice."

D (xx0232@1)                         G (320003@1)                DSo (xx0232@1)I handed him my bottle and he drank down my last swallow.
                                               A7Then (x02020@1)he bummed a cigarette, and asked me for a light.
        D (xx0232@1)                              G (320003@1)               DAnd (xx0232@1)the night got deathly quiet, and his face lost all expression.
                 G (320003@1)             D (xx0232@1)                A7 (x02020@1)             DSaid, (xx0232@1)"If you're gonna play the game, boy, ya gotta learn to play it right.

Chorus:
           D (xx0232@1)                   G (320003@1)           DYou (xx0232@1)got to know when to hold 'em, know when to fold 'em,
G (320003@1)          D (xx0232@1)                        A7know (x02020@1)when to walk away and know when to run.
          D (xx0232@1)   G (320003@1)  D (xx0232@1)               G (320003@1)            DYou (xx0232@1)never count your money when you're sittin' at the table.
             G (320003@1)            D (xx0232@1)      A7 (x02020@1)              DThere'll (xx0232@1)be time enough for countin' when the dealin's done.

Verse 4: (Key change)
E (022100@1)                          A (x02220@1)           EEv'ry (022100@1)gambler knows that the secret to survivin'
                                                  B7is (x21202@1)knowin' what to throw away and knowing what to keep.
       E (022100@1)                       A (x02220@1)            E'Cause (022100@1)ev'ry hand's a winner and ev'ry hand's a loser,
        A (x02220@1)               E (022100@1)            B7 (x21202@1)        Eand (022100@1)the best that you can hope for is to die in your sleep."

Verse 5:
    E (022100@1)                             A (x02220@1)                     EAnd (022100@1)when he'd finished speakin', he turned back towards the window,
                                           B7crushed (x21202@1)out his cigarette and faded off to sleep.
    E (022100@1)                           A (x02220@1)               EAnd (022100@1)somewhere in the darkness the gambler, he broke even.
    A (x02220@1)          E (022100@1)              B7 (x21202@1)             EBut (022100@1)in his final words I found an ace that I could keep.

Chorus:
           E (022100@1)                    A (x02220@1)           EYou (022100@1)got to know when to hold 'em, know when to fold 'em,
A (x02220@1)          E (022100@1)                        B7know (x21202@1)when to walk away and know when to run.
          E (022100@1)   A (x02220@1)  E (022100@1)               A (x02220@1)            EYou (022100@1)never count your money when you're sittin' at the table.
             A (x02220@1)            E (022100@1)      B7 (x21202@1)              EThere'll (022100@1)be time enough for countin' when the dealin's done.