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Gambler by Kenny Rogers

Chords

Capo

1

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Tuning: EADGBE

Chords:
      A      D      Em/A   G      G/D
e|----0------2------0------3------3----|
B|----2------3------0------0------0----|
G|----2------2------0------0------0----|
D|----2------0------2------0------0----|
A|----0-------------0------5------2----|
E|-------------------------5------0----|

(In a moderate country half-time)

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

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

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

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

Slide capo to 2nd fret:

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

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

           D                     G             D
You got to know when to hold 'em, know when to fold 'em,
G            D                          A
know when to walk away and know when to run.
          D     Em/A D                 G              D
You never count your money when you're sittin' at the table.
                 G          D        A                 D

Gambler Chords Info

Last Updated: August 7, 2026

Capo: 1

Chords: A, D, Em/A, G, G/D, B, E