G	C	G
On a	warm summer's evening, on a	train bound for	nowhere

	C	G	C	D
I	met up with the	gambler, we were	both too tired to	sleep

	G	C	G
So	we took turns a staring out the	window at the	darkness

	C	G	D	G
Til	boredom over	took us, and	he began to	speak

	G	C	G
He said,	Son I've made a life, out of	reading people's	faces

	C	G	C	D
And	knowing what their	cards were, by the	way they held their	eyes

	G	C	G
So if you	don't mind my saying, I can	see you're out of	aces

	C	G	D	G
For a	taste of your	whiskey, I'll	give you some	advice

	G	C	G
So I	handed him my bottle, and he	drank down my last	swallow

	C	G	C	D
	Then he bummed a	cigarette, and	asked me for a	light

	G	C	G
And the	night got deathly quiet, and his	face lost all ex	pression

	C	G	D	G
He said,	If you're gonna play the	game boy, ya gotta	learn to play it	right

	G	C	G
You got to	know when to hold 'em,	know when to	fold 'em

	C	G	C	D
	Know when to	walk away and	know when to	run

	G	C	G
You never	count your money, when you're	sitting at the	table

	C	G	D	G
There'll be	time enough for	counting,	when the dealings	done

	G	C	G
	Now every gambler knows that the	secret to sur	viving

	C	G	C	D
Is	knowing what to	throw away, and	knowing what to	keep

	G	C	G
Cause	every hand's a winner, and	every hand's a	loser

	C	G	D	G
And the	best that you can	hope for, is to	die in your	sleep

	G	C	G
And	when he'd finished speaking, he	turned back toward the	window

	C	G	C	D
	Crushed out his	cigarette and	faded off to	sleep

	G	C	G
And	somewhere in the darkness, the	gambler he broke	even

	C	G	D	G
But	in his final	words I found an	ace that I could	keep