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                            A/E             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           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: (Bass in)
         E                             A/E              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               E
And if you don't mind my sayin', I can see you're out of aces.
      A/E           E            B7            E
For a taste of your whiskey I'll give you some advice."

Verse 3: (strumming starts)
     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.

Chorus:
           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.
            E    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'
                                                  C
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              C           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.

Chorus:
           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.
             F    Bb          F        C7                F
There'll be time enough for countin' when the dealin's done.

A cappello chorus 

Chorus