Intro: e|-----0-------------0---3~5-0-| B|-0h2---2-3-2p0-0h2---2-------| G|-----------------------------| x 2 D|-----------------------------| A|-----------------------------| E|-----------------------------| Verse 1: (add9 to the E on every 3rd beat throughout 1st 2 verses)

On a^E warm summer's evenin' on a t^A/Erain bound for n^Eowhere, ^EI met up with the gambler; we were both too tired to ^B7sleep. So ^Ewe took turns a starin' out the w^A/Eindow at the d^Earkness 'til boredom overtook us, ^B7and he began to ^Espeak.

Verse 2: (Bass in)

He said, ^E"Son, I've made a life ou^A/Et of readin' peop^Ele's faces, and knowin' what their cards were by the way they held their ^B7eyes. And if ^Eyou don't mind my sayin', I can ^A/Esee you're out of ^Eaces. For a ^A/Etaste of your ^Ewhiskey I'll ^B7give you some ^Eadvice."

Verse 3: (strumming starts)

So I ^Ehanded him my bottle and he ^Adrank down my last ^Eswallow. Then he bummed a cigarette and asked me for a ^B7light. And the ^Enight got deathly quiet, and his ^Aface lost all expr^Eession. Said, "If yo^Au're gonna play ^Ethe game, boy, ya g^B7otta learn to pla^Ey it right.

Chorus:

You got to ^Eknow when to hold 'em,^A know when to ^Efold 'em, ^Aknow when to ^Ewalk away and know when to ^B7run. You never ^Ecount ^Ayour ^Emoney when you're ^Asittin' at the ^Etable. There'll be ^Etime ^Aenough for ^Ecountin' ^B7when the dealin's ^Edone.

Verse 4: (Key change)

^FEv'ry gambler knows that the ^Bbsecret to survi^Fvin' is knowin' what to throw away and knowing what to ^Ckeep. 'Cause ^Fev'ry hand's a winner and ^Bbev'ry hand's a l^Foser, and the ^Bbbest that you can h^Fope for is to d^Cie in your s^Fleep."

Verse 5:

And ^Fwhen he'd finished speakin', he ^Bbturned back towards the w^Findow, crushed out his cigarette and faded off to ^C7sleep. And ^Fsomewhere in the darkness the ^Bbgambler, he broke e^Fven. But ^Bbin his final w^Fords I found an a^C7ce that I could k^Feep.

Chorus:

You got to ^Fknow when to hold 'em,^Bb know when to f^Fold 'em, ^Bbknow when to w^Falk away and know when to r^C7un. You never ^Fcount ^Bbyour ^Fmoney when you're ^Bbsittin' at the t^Fable. There'll be t^Fime e^Bbnough for co^Funtin' wh^C7en the dealin's do^Fne.

A cappello chorus Chorus

Kenny Rogers - The gambler