The Gambler - Kenny Rogers
Capo: 1

[Chords]
            
E|----0------2
B|----2------3
G|----2------2
D|----2------0
A|----0-------
D|------------

         
------0------3
------0------0
------0------0
------2------0
------0------5
-------------5

     
------3----|
------0----|
------0----|
------0----|
------2----|
------0----|

(In a moderate country half-time)

[Verse 1]
             
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 a

              
nd asked me fo

    
r 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.

(Slide capo to 2nd fret)

[Verse 4]
             
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.

[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.

[Outro]
             
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.