The Gambler chords by Don Schlitz

Intro
C F C F C Am G
C F C F C G  C

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

C                                 F                  C
You got to know when to hold 'em, know when to fold 'em
F             C        Am            G
Know when to walk away, know when to run
           C     G    C                 F             C
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

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

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

C                                 F                  C
You got to know when to hold 'em, know when to fold 'em
F             C        Am            G
Know when to walk away, know when to run
           C     G    C                 F             C
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