The Gambler

	  		
Intro 
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C F C F C G  C 

verse 1 
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On a warm summer's evening, on a train bound for nowhere 
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I met up with a gambler, we were both too tired to sleep 
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So we took turns a-staring out the window at the darkness 
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The boredom overtook us and he began to speak 
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He said, "Son, I've made my life out of reading people's faces 
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And knowing what the cards were by the way they held their eyes 
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So if you don't mind my sayin', I can see you're out of aces 
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For a taste of your whiskey, I'll give you some advice" 
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So I handed him my bottle and he drank down my last swallow 
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Then he bummed a cigarette and asked me for a light 
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And the night got deathly quiet, and his face lost all expression 
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Said, "If you're gonna play the game, boy, you gotta learn to play it right" 

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You got to know when to hold 'em, know when to fold 'em 
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Know when to walk away, know when to run 
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You never count your money when you're sittin' at the table 
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There'll be time enough for countin', when the dealin's done
 

verse 2 
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Now, every gambler knows, the secret to survivin' 
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Is knowing what to throw away, knowing what to keep 
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'Cause every hand's a winner and every hand's a loser 
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And the best you can hope for, is to die in your sleep 

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So when he'd finished speakin', he turned back toward the window 
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Crushed out his cigarette and faded off to sleep 
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Then somewhere in the darkness, the gambler he broke even 
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But in his final words, I found an ace that I could keep 

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You got to know when to hold 'em, know when to fold 'em 
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Know when to walk away, know when to run 
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You never count your money when you're sittin' at the table 
            F                C                  G       C 
There'll be time enough for countin', when the dealin's done