The Gambler
Kenny Rogers

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

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

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

            D                     G               D
"You got to know when to hold 'em,  know when to fold 'em
G                D                        A   
  Know when to walk away and know when to run
          D     G    D                 G               D 
You never count your money when you're sittin' at the table
            G               D        A                   D   
There'll be time enough for countin'   when the dealin's done

E                             A            E
"Every gambler knows that the secret to survivin'
   A               E                              B
Is knowin' what to throw away and knowin' what to keep
       E                          A              E
'Cause every hand's a winner, and every hand's a loser
        A                 E              B           E
And the best that you can hope for is to die in your sleep"

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


Refrain (in E)