Without a capo. The original song in key of D#/Eb and
then to E at the key change.  Tune down half a step. 


[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)

             
Every gambler 

              
knows that the

            
 secret to sur

 
vivin'
              
is knowin' wha

              
t to throw awa

              
y and knowing 

        
what to keep.
             
'Cause every h

              
and's a winner

            
 and every 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.