Start
Eb7
■
Verse
Fm7 Eb7 Ab
■ ■ ■
Eb
On a warm summer's evening
Eb
On a train bound for nowhere
Eb
I met up with the gambler
Bb
We were both too tired to sleep
Eb
So we took turns astarin'
Eb
Out the window at the darkness
Eb
The boredom overtook us
Bb Eb
And he began to speak
Eb
He said Son I've made a life
Ab Eb
Out of readin' people's faces
Eb
Knowin' what the cards were
Bb
By the way they held their eyes
Eb
So if you don't mind my sayin'
Eb
I can see you're out of aces
Eb
For a taste of your whiskey
Bb Eb
I'll give you some advice
Eb
So I handed him my bottle
Ab Eb
And he drank down my last swallow
Eb
Then he bummed a cigarette
Eb Bb7
And asked me for a light
Eb
And the night got deathly quiet
Ab Eb
And his face lost all expression
Ab Eb
Said If you're gonna play the game boy
Bb7 Eb
You gotta learn to play it right
Chorus
Eb
You've got to know when to hold 'em
Ab Eb
Know when to fold 'em
Ab Eb
Know when to walk away
Eb Bb7
And know when to run
Eb Ab Eb
You never count your money
Ab Eb
When you're sittin' at the table
Ab Eb
There'll be time enough for countin'
Bb7 Eb Eb
When the dealin's done ■
Verse
E
Every gambler knows
A E
That the secret to survivin'
E
Is knowin' what to throw away
B
And knowin' what to keep
E
'cause every hand's a winner
A E
And every hand's a loser
A E
And the best that you can hope for
B7 E
Is to die in your sleep
E
And when he'd finished speakin'
A E
He turned back toward the window
E
Crushed out his cigarette
B7
Faded off to sleep
E
And somewhere in the darkness
A E
The gambler he broke even
A E
But in his final words
B7 E
I found an ace that I could keep
Chorus
E
You've got to know when to hold 'em
A E
Know when to fold 'em
A E
Know when to walk away
B7
And know when to run
E
You never count your money
A E
When you're sittin' at the table
E
There'll be time enough for countin'
B7 E
When the dealin's done
Bridge
E
You've got to know when to hold 'em
E
Know when to fold 'em
E
Know when to walk away
E
And know when to run
E
You never count your money
E
When you're sittin' at the table
E
There'll be time enough for countin'
E
When the dealin's done
Chorus
E
You've got to know when to hold 'em
A E
Know when to fold 'em
A E
Know when to walk away
B7
And know when to run
E
You never count your money
A E
When you're sittin' at the table
E
There'll be time enough for countin'
B7 E E
When the dealin's done ■
End