[Verse 1]
C# F# C#
On a warm summer's evenin' on a train bound for nowhere,
C# G#
I met up with the gambler; we were both too tired to sleep.
C# F# C#
So we took turns a starin' out the window at the darkness
G# C#
'til boredom overtook us, and he began to speak.
[Verse 2 (Bass in)]
C# F# C#
He said, "Son, I've made a life out of readin' people's faces,
G#
and knowin' what their cards were by the way they held their eyes.
C# F# C#
And if you don't mind my sayin', I can see you're out of aces.
F# C# G# C#
For a taste of your whiskey I'll give you some advice."
[Verse 3 (strumming starts)]
C# F# C#
So I handed him my bottle and he drank down my last swallow.
G#
Then he bummed a cigarette and asked me for a light.
C# F# C#
And the night got deathly quiet, and his face lost all expression.
F# C#
Said, "If you're gonna play the game,
G# C#
boy, ya gotta learn to play it right.
[Chorus]
C# F# C#
You got to know when to hold 'em, know when to fold 'em,
F# C# G#
know when to walk away and know when to run.
C# F# C# F# C#
You never count your money when you're sittin' at the table.
C# F# C# G# C#
There'll be time enough for countin' when the dealin's done.
[Verse 4 (Key change)]
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."
[Verse 5]
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.
[Chorus]
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.
D G D A D
There'll be time enough for countin' when the dealin's done.
[Chorus a cappella]
C# F# C#
You got to know when to hold 'em, know when to fold 'em,
F# C# G#
know when to walk away and know when to run.
C# F# C# F# C#
You never count your money when you're sittin' at the table.
C# F# C# G# C#
There'll be time enough for countin' when the dealin's done.
[Chorus]
C# F# C#
You got to know when to hold 'em, know when to fold 'em,
F# C# G#
know when to walk away and know when to run.
C# F# C# F# C#
You never count your money when you're sittin' at the table.
C# F# C# G# C#
There'll be time enough for countin' when the dealin's done.
[Verse 1]
C# On a warm summer's evenin'
F# C#
on a train bound for nowhere,
C# I met up with the gambler; we
G#
were both too tired to sleep.
C# So we took turns a starin'
F# C#
out the window at the darkness
'til boredom overtook
G# C#
us, and he began to speak.
[Verse 2 (Bass in)]
C# He said, "Son, I've made a life
F# C#
out of readin' people's faces,
and knowin' what their cards were
G#
by the way they held their eyes.
C# And if you don't mind my sayin',
F# C#
I can see you're out of aces.
F# C# For a taste of your whiskey
G# C#
I'll give you some advice."
[Verse 3 (strumming starts)]
C# So I handed him my bottle and
F# C#
he drank down my last swallow.
Then he bummed a cigarette
G#
and asked me for a light.
C# And the night got deathly quiet,
F# C#
and his face lost all expression.
Said, "If you're
F# C#
gonna play the game,
G# boy, ya gotta learn
C#
to play it right.
[Chorus]
C# You got to know when to hold
F# C#
'em, know when to fold 'em,
F# C# know when to walk away
G#
and know when to run.
C# F# C# You never count your money when
F# C#
you're sittin' at the table.
C# F# There'll be time enough for
C# G# C#
countin' when the dealin's done.
[Verse 4 (Key change)]
D Ev'ry gambler knows that
G D
the secret to survivin'
is knowin' what to throw away
A
and knowing what to keep.
D 'Cause ev'ry hand's a winner
G D
and ev'ry hand's a loser,
G D and the best that you can hope
A D
for is to die in your sleep."
[Verse 5]
D And when he'd finished speakin',
G D
he turned back towards the window,
crushed out his cigarette
A
and faded off to sleep.
D And somewhere in the darkness
G D
the gambler, he broke even.
G D But in his final words I found
A D
an ace that I could keep.
[Chorus]
D You got to know when to hold
G D
'em, know when to fold 'em,
G D know when to walk away
A
and know when to run.
D G D You never count your money when
G D
you're sittin' at the table.
D G There'll be time enough for
D A D
countin' when the dealin's done.
[Chorus a cappella]
C# You got to know when to hold
F# C#
'em, know when to fold 'em,
F# C# know when to walk away
G#
and know when to run.
C# F# C# You never count your money when
F# C#
you're sittin' at the table.
C# F# There'll be time enough for
C# G# C#
countin' when the dealin's done.
[Chorus]
C# You got to know when to hold
F# C#
'em, know when to fold 'em,
F# C# know when to walk away
G#
and know when to run.
C# F# C# You never count your money when
F# C#
you're sittin' at the table.
C# F# There'll be time enough for
C# G# C#
countin' when the dealin's done.