The Gambler
By Blake Shelton
Tabbed By Larry Mofle
6/24/2012


G/D - 020003
Em/A - 020000


Capo 1


     D                          G/D             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           D
So we took turns a starin' out the window at the darkness
    G/D              D  A               D
Til boredom overtook us and he began to speak

He said, "Son, I've made a life out of readin' people's faces
And knowin' what their cards were by the way they held their eyes
And if you don't mind my sayin', I can see you're out of aces
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


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     Em/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 or go sharp 1/2 step on the following chords***


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


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

Chorus

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