[Versetto]
     G                          C               G 
On a warm summer's evenin' on a train bound for nowhere, 
  C               G                C                 D 
I met up with the gambler; we were both too tired to sleep. 
   G                               C             G 
So we took turns a starin' out the window at the darkness 
     C           G        D               G 
'til boredom overtook us, and he began to speak.
[Versetto]
         G                             C                G 
He said, "Son, I've made a life out of readin' people's faces, 
    C                  G                 C                   D 
and knowin' what their cards were by the way they held their eyes. 
       G                               C                 G 
And if you don't mind my sayin', I can see you're out of aces. 
      C             G            D             G 
For a taste of your whiskey I'll give you some advice."
[Versetto]
     G                           C                  G 
So I handed him my bottle and he drank down my last swallow.  
C                G             C              D 
Then he bummed a cigarette and asked me for a light. 
        G                                C                 G 
And the night got deathly quiet, and his face lost all expression. 
                 C                    G             D                G 
Said, "If you're gonna play the game, boy, ya gotta learn to play it right.
[Ritornello]
           G                     C             G 
You got to know when to hold 'em, know when to fold 'em, 
C            G         C                D 
know when to walk away and know when to run. 
          G                            C              G 
You never count your money when you're sittin' at the table. 
                 C          G        D                 G 
There'll be time enough for countin' when the dealin's done.
(transpose +1 here if you want to play it correctly)
[Versetto]
G                             C             G 
Ev'ry gambler knows that the secret to survivin' 
   C               G              C               D 
is knowin' what to throw away and knowing what to keep. 
       G                         C              G 
'Cause ev'ry hand's a winner and ev'ry hand's a loser, 
        C                 G              D           G 
and the best that you can hope for is to die in your sleep."
[Versetto]
    G                               C                       G 
And when he'd finished speakin', he turned back towards the window, 
C               G             C            D 
crushed out his cigarette and faded off to sleep. 
    G                             C                 G 
And somewhere in the darkness the gambler, he broke even. 
    C            G                D                G 
But in his final words I found an ace that I could keep.
[Ritornello]
           G                     C             G 
You got to know when to hold 'em, know when to fold 'em, 
C            G         C                D 
know when to walk away and know when to run. 
          G                            C              G 
You never count your money when you're sittin' at the table. 
                 C          G        D                 G 
There'll be time enough for countin' when the dealin's done.
[Ritornello]
           G                     C             G 
You got to know when to hold 'em, know when to fold 'em, 
C            G         C                D 
know when to walk away and know when to run. 
          G                            C              G 
You never count your money when you're sittin' at the table. 
                 C          G        D                 G 
There'll be time enough for countin' when the dealin's done.
[Ritornello]
           G                     C             G 
You got to know when to hold 'em, know when to fold 'em, 
C            G         C                D 
know when to walk away and know when to run. 
          G                            C              G 
You never count your money when you're sittin' at the table. 
                 C          G        D                 G 
There'll be time enough for countin' when the dealin's done.