The Gambler(Chords)

	        
     D                          G               D 
On a warm summer's evenin' on a train bound for nowhere 
                                                     A 
I met up with the 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 
                                                             A 
And knowin' what their cards were by the way they held their eyes 
       D                               G                 D 
And 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 
                                              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, ya 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     A    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 


{Slide capo to 2nd fret} 

D                            G             D 
Ev'ry gambler knows that the secret to survivin' 
                                                  A 
Is knowin' what to throw away and knowing what to keep. 
       D                         G              D 
'Cause ev'ry hand's a winner and ev'ry hand's a loser, 
        G                 D              A           D 
And the best that you can hope for is to die in your sleep.' 
    D                               G                       D 
And when he'd finished speakin', he turned back towards the window, 
                                           A 
Crushed out his cigarette and faded off to sleep. 
    D                             G                 D 
And somewhere in the darkness the gambler, he broke even. 
    G            D                A                D 
But in his final words I found an ace that I could keep. 

 
           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     A    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. 
           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     A    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.

	        

Written by Don Schlitz