Hits You Know

The Gambler

[Verse]

   D                            G             D
On a warm summer's evenin' on a train bound for nowhere,
G                 D                                  A7
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            A7              D
'til boredom overtook us, and he began to speak.


[Verse 2]

        D                             G                D
He said, "Son, I've made a life out of readin' people's faces,
      G               D                                     A7
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            A7            D
For a taste of your whiskey I'll give you some advice."


[Verse 3]

    D                           G                  D
So I handed him my bottle and he drank down my last swallow.
      G         D                             A7
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                  A7               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                          A7
know when to walk away and know when to run.
         D                          G                D
You never count your money when you're sittin' at the table.
            G              D        A7                D
There'll be time enough for countin' when the dealin's done.


[Verse 4] (Key change)

E                            A             E
Ev'ry gambler knows that the secret to survivin'
    A              E                              B7
is knowin' what to throw away and knowing what to keep.
      E                         A              E
'Cause ev'ry hand's a winner and ev'ry hand's a loser,
       A                 E              B7          E
and the best that you can hope for is to die in your sleep."


[Verse 5]

   E                               A                       E
And when he'd finished speakin', he turned back towards the window,
      A                      E              B7
crushed out his cigarette and faded off to sleep.
   E                             A                 E
And somewhere in the darkness the gambler, he broke even.
   A            E                B7               E
But in his final words I found an ace that I could keep.


[Chorus]

          E                      A             E
You got to know when to hold 'em, know when to fold 'em,
A            E                          B7
know when to walk away and know when to run.
         E                          A              E
You never count your money when you're sittin' at the table.
            A              E        B7                E
There'll be time enough for countin' when the dealin's done.