Intro:

e|-----0-------------0---3~5-0-|       
B|-0h2---2-3-2p0-0h2---2-------|        
G|-----------------------------|   x 2       
D|-----------------------------|             
A|-----------------------------|         
E|-----------------------------|

Verse 1: (add9 to the E on every 3rd beat throughout 1st 2 verses)
    E (022100@1)                          A/E (002220@1)           EOn (022100@1)a warm summer's evenin' on a train bound for nowhere,
E (022100@1)                                                  B7I (x21202@1)met up with the gambler; we were both too tired to sleep.
   E (022100@1)                              A/E (002220@1)         ESo (022100@1)we took turns a starin' out the window at the darkness
                          B7 (x21202@1)            E'til (022100@1)boredom overtook us, and he began to speak.

Verse 2: (Bass in)
         E (022100@1)                           A/E (002220@1)            EHe (022100@1)said, "Son, I've made a life out of readin' people's faces,
                                                             B7and (x21202@1)knowin' what their cards were by the way they held their eyes.
       E (022100@1)                             A/E (002220@1)             EAnd (022100@1)if you don't mind my sayin', I can see you're out of aces.
      A/E (002220@1)         E (022100@1)          B7 (x21202@1)          EFor (022100@1)a taste of your whiskey I'll give you some advice."

Verse 3: (strumming starts)
     E (022100@1)                         A (x02220@1)                ESo (022100@1)I handed him my bottle and he drank down my last swallow.
                                              B7Then (x21202@1)he bummed a cigarette and asked me for a light.
        E (022100@1)                              A (x02220@1)               EAnd (022100@1)the night got deathly quiet, and his face lost all expression.
                 A (x02220@1)             E (022100@1)                B7 (x21202@1)             ESaid, (022100@1)"If you're gonna play the game, boy, ya gotta learn to play it right.

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.
            E (022100@1)  A (x02220@1)        E (022100@1)      B7 (x21202@1)              EThere'll (022100@1)be time enough for countin' when the dealin's done.

Verse 4: (Key change)
F (133211@1)                          Bb (x1333x@1)           FEv'ry (133211@1)gambler knows that the secret to survivin'
                                                  Cis (x32010@1)knowin' what to throw away and knowing what to keep.
       F (133211@1)                       Bb (x1333x@1)            F'Cause (133211@1)ev'ry hand's a winner and ev'ry hand's a loser,
        Bb (x1333x@1)               F (133211@1)            C (x32010@1)         Fand (133211@1)the best that you can hope for is to die in your sleep."

Verse 5:
    F (133211@1)                             Bb (x1333x@1)                     FAnd (133211@1)when he'd finished speakin', he turned back towards the window,
                                           C7crushed (x32310@1)out his cigarette and faded off to sleep.
    F (133211@1)                           Bb (x1333x@1)               FAnd (133211@1)somewhere in the darkness the gambler, he broke even.
    Bb (x1333x@1)          F (133211@1)              C7 (x32310@1)             FBut (133211@1)in his final words I found an ace that I could keep.

Chorus:
           F (133211@1)                   Bb (x1333x@1)           FYou (133211@1)got to know when to hold 'em, know when to fold 'em,
Bb (x1333x@1)          F (133211@1)                        C7know (x32310@1)when to walk away and know when to run.
          F (133211@1)   Bb (x1333x@1) F (133211@1)               Bb (x1333x@1)            FYou (133211@1)never count your money when you're sittin' at the table.
             F (133211@1)  Bb (x1333x@1)        F (133211@1)      C7 (x32310@1)              FThere'll (133211@1)be time enough for countin' when the dealin's done.

A cappello chorus

Chorus