The Gambler chords by Kenny Loggins

Tuning D# G# C# F# A# d#


Verse

    E                            A             E
On a warm summer's evenin' on a train bound for nowhere,
E                                                    B7
I met up with the gambler; we were both too tired to sleep.
   E                               A              E
So we took turns a starin' out the window at the darkness
                          B7              E
'til boredom overtook us, and he began to speak.


verse 2

         E                             A                E
He said, "Son, I've made a life out of readin' people's faces,
                                                             B7
and knowin' what their cards were by the way they held their eyes.
       E                               A                 E
And if you don't mind my sayin', I can see you're out of aces.
      A             E            B7            E
For a taste of your whiskey I'll give you some advice."


verse 3

     E                           A                  E
So I handed him my bottle and he drank down my last swallow.
                                               B7
Then he bummed a cigarette, and asked me for a light.
        E                                A                 E
And the night got deathly quiet, and his face lost all expression.
                 A               E                  B7               E
Said, "If you're gonna play the game, boy, ya gotta learn to play it right.

           E                     A             E
You got to know when to hold 'em, know when to fold 'em,
A            E                          B7
know when to walk away and know when to run.
          E     A    E                 A              E
You never count your money when you're sittin' at the table.
             A              E        B7                E
There'll be time enough for countin' when the dealin's done.


verse 4 (Key change)

F                            Bb            F
Ev'ry gambler knows that the secret to survivin'
                                                  C7
is knowin' what to throw away and knowing what to keep.
       F                         Bb             F
'Cause ev'ry hand's a winner and ev'ry hand's a loser,
        Bb                F              C7          F
and the best that you can hope for is to die in your sleep."


Verse 5

    F                               Bb                      F
And when he'd finished speakin', he turned back towards the window,
                                           C7
crushed out his cigarette and faded off to sleep.
    F                             Bb                F
And somewhere in the darkness the gambler, he broke even.
    Bb           F                C7               F
But in his final words I found an ace that I could keep.

           F                      Bb            F
You got to know when to hold 'em, know when to fold 'em,
Bb           F                          C7
know when to walk away and know when to run.
          F     Bb   F                 Bb             F
You never count your money when you're sittin' at the table.
             Bb             F        C7                F
There'll be time enough for countin' when the dealin's done.