The Gambler

Kenny Rogers

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Intro: | Eb Ab | (2 times)

     Eb                          Ab              Eb
On a warm summer's evening, on a train bound for nowhere
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I met up with the gambler, we were both too tired to sleep
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So we took turns a-staring out the window, at the darkness
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'Til boredom overtook us, and he began to speak
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He said, "Son, I've made a life out of reading people's faces
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And knowing what the cards were by the way they held their eyes
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So if you don't mind my saying, I can see you're out of aces
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For a taste of your whisky, I'll give you some advice"
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So I handed him my bottle and he drank down my last swallow
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Then he bummed a cigarette and asked me for a light
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And the night got deathly quiet, and his face lost all expression
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Said, "If you're gonna play the game, boy, you gotta learn to play it right"

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You got to know when to hold 'em, know when to fold 'em
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 Know when to walk away, and know when to run
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You never count your   money when you're sitting at the table
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There'll be time enough for counting when the dealing's done

E                             A            E
 Every gambler knows that the secret to surviving
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Is knowing what to throw away and knowing what to keep
      E                         A              E
Cause every hand's a winner and every hand's a loser
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And the best that you can hope for is to die in your sleep
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So when he finished speaking, he turned back toward the window
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 Crushed out his cigarette and faded off to sleep
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And somewhere in the darkness, the gambler he broke even
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But in his final words I found an ace that I could keep

           E                     A             E
You got to know when to hold 'em, know when to fold 'em
Esus4         E                           B7
 Know when to walk away, and know when to run
          E     Esus4 E                 A              E
You never count your  money when you're sitting at the table
            Esus4           E       B7                  E
There'll be time enough for counting when the dealing's done
           E                     A             E
You got to know when to hold 'em, know when to fold 'em
Esus4         E                           B7
 Know when to walk away, and know when to run
          E     Esus4 E                 A              E
You never count your  money when you're sitting at the table
            Esus4           E       B7                  E
There'll be time enough for counting when the dealing's done
           E                     A             E
You got to know when to hold 'em, know when to fold 'em
Esus4         E                           B7
 Know when to walk away, and know when to run
          E     Esus4 E                 A              E
You never count your  money when you're sitting at the table
            Esus4           E       B7                  E
There'll be time enough for counting when the dealing's done