[Verse] 

             
On a warm summ

              
er's evenin' o

             
n a train boun

     
d for nowhere,
             
I met up with 

             
the gambler; w

              
e were both to

           
o tired to sle

ep.
             
So we took tur

              
ns a starin' o

             
ut the window 

        
at the darknes

s
             
'til boredom o

             
vertook us, an

            
d he began to 

  
speak.


[Verse 2] 

             
He said, "Son,

              
 I've made a l

             
ife out of rea

              
din' people's 


faces,
             
and knowin' wh

             
at their cards

              
 were by the w

              
ay they held t

     
heir eyes.
             
And if you don

              
't mind my say

             
in', I can see

              
 you're out of

 
 aces.
             
For a taste of

             
 your whiskey 

            
I'll give you 

     
some advice."


[Verse 3] 

             
So I handed hi

              
m my bottle an

             
d he drank dow

          
n my last swal

low.
             
Then he bummed

             
 a cigarette, 

              
and asked me f

     
or a light.
             
And the night 

              
got deathly qu

             
iet, and his f

              
ace lost all e

   
xpression.
              
Said, "If you'

             
re gonna play 

             
the game, boy,

            
 ya gotta lear

             
n to play it r

ight.


[Chorus]

             
You got to kno

              
w when to hold

             
 'em, know whe

     
n to fold 'em,
            
know when to w

              
alk away and k

            
now when to ru

n.
             
You never coun

              
t your money w

             
hen you're sit

            
tin' at the ta

ble.
             
There'll be ti

              
me enough for 

           
countin' when 

             
the dealin's d

one.


[Verse 4] (Key change)

             
Ev'ry gambler 

              
knows that the

             
 secret to sur

 
vivin'
             
is knowin' wha

             
t to throw awa

              
y and knowing 

         
what to keep.
             
'Cause ev'ry h

              
and's a winner

             
 and ev'ry han

      
d's a loser,
             
and the best t

             
hat you can ho

             
pe for is to d

          
ie in your sle

ep."


[Verse 5]

             
And when he'd 

              
finished speak

             
in', he turned

              
 back towards 

    
the window,
             
crushed out hi

              
s cigarette an

             
d faded off to

   
 sleep.
             
And somewhere 

              
in the darknes

             
s the gambler,

          
 he broke even

.
             
But in his fin

             
al words I fou

            
nd an ace that

         
 I could keep.


[Chorus]

             
You got to kno

              
w when to hold

             
 'em, know whe

      
n to fold 'em,
            
know when to w

              
alk away and k

            
now when to ru

n.
             
You never coun

              
t your money w

             
hen you're sit

          
tin' at the ta

ble.
             
There'll be ti

              
me enough for 

           
countin' when 

             
the dealin's d

one.