The Gambler
Recorded by Kenny Rogers
Album: The Gambler (1978)

(Capo on 1)

(Intro.)
|(D) / / / (G) / / / |(A) / / / |(G) / / / |

(Verse)
On a (D)warm summer's evenin' on a (G)train bound for (D)nowhere
I (D)met up with the gambler; we were both too tired to (A7)sleep
So (D)we took turns a starin' out the (G)window at the (D)darkness
'Til (G)boredom over-(D)took us, (A7) and he began to (D)speak

(Verse 2)
He said, "(D)Son, I've made a life out of (G/D)readin’ people's (D)faces
And (G/D)knowin’ what their (D)cards were by the way they held their (A7)eyes
So (D)if you don't mind my sayin', I can (G/D)see you're out of (D)aces
For a (G/D)taste of your (D)whiskey I'll (A7)give you some ad-(D)vice”

(Verse 3)
So I (D)handed him my bottle (D/E) and (D/F#)he (G)drank down my last (D)swallow
(G/D) Then he bummed a (D)cigarette, and asked me for a light (A7)
And the (D)night got deathly quiet, (D/E) and (D/F#)his (G)face lost all ex-(D)pression
Said, "If you're (G)gonna play the game, (D) boy, ya gotta (A7)learn to play it (D)right

(Chorus)
You got to (D)know when to hold ‘em, (D/E) (D/F#) (G) know when to (D)fold 'em
(G) Know when to walk (D) away and know when to run (A7)
You never (D)count your money when you're (G)sittin' at the ta-(D)ble
There'll be (D)time e-(G)nough for (D)countin' (A7) when the dealin's (D)done

(Solo)
|(D) / / / |(D) / / / |(D) / / |(E) (Key change)

(Verse 4)
Ev'ry gambler (E)knows that the (A)secret to sur-(E)vivin’
Is (A/E)knowin’ what to throw away and (E)knowing what to keep (B7)
'Cause (E)ev'ry hand's a winner (E/F#) (E/G#) and (A)ev'ry hand's a los-(E)er
(E/F#) (E/G#) And the (A)best that you can (E)hope for is to die (B7) in your (E)sleep"

(Verse 5) 
And (E)when he'd finished speakin’, (E/F#) (E/G#) he (A)turned back towards the (E)window
(A/E) Crushed out his cigarette and (E)faded off to (B7)sleep
And (E)somewhere in the darkness the (A)gambler, he broke (E)even
But (A)in his final (E)words I found an (B7)ace that I could (E)keep

(Chorus)
You got to know when to hold ‘em, (E/F#) (E/G#) (A) know when to (E)fold ‘em (E/F#) (E/G#)
(A) Know when to (E)walk away and know when to run (B7)
You never (E)count your money (E/F#) (E/G#) when you're (A)sittin' at the (E)table
There'll be (A/E)time e-(A)nough for (E)countin’ (B7) when the dealin's (E)done

(Chorus)
You got to know when to hold ‘em, (A) know when to (E)fold ‘em
(A) Know when to (E)walk away and know when to run (B7)
You never (E)count your money when you're (A)sittin' at the (E)table
There'll be (A/E)time e-(A)nough for (E)countin’ (B7) when the dealin's (E)done

(Chorus)
You got to know when to hold ‘em, (E/F#) (E/G#) (A) know when to (E)fold ‘em (E/F#) (E/G#)
(A) Know when to (E)walk away and know when to run (B7)
You never (E)count your money (E/F#) (E/G#) when you're (A)sittin' at the (E)table
There'll be (A/E)time e-(A)nough for (E)countin’ (B7) when the dealin's (E)done - - - - -