Original key Eb

The first few lines are picking then he goes into the strumming.

Capo on 1st Fret

[Verse 1]

     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.

[Verse 2]

         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.”

[Verse 3]

     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.

[Chorus]

           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.

[Verse 4] (transpose +1 here if you want to play it correctly)

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.”

[Verse 5]

    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.

[Chorus]

           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.

           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.

           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.