On a warm summer's evenin'

on a train

bound for nowhere

I met up with a gambler

we were both

too tired to sleep

So we took turns a-starin'

out the window

at the darkness

'til boredom overtook us

and he began to speak

He said son, I've made my life

out of readin' people's faces

and knowin' what

the cards were

by the way

they held their eyes

So, if you don't

mind me sayin'

I can see you're out of aces

for a taste of your whiskey

I'll give you some advice

So, I handed him my bottle

and he drank down

my last swallow

then he bummed a cigarette

and asked me for a light

Then the night

got deathly quiet

and his face

lost all expression

Said if you're gonna

play the game, boy

you gotta learn

to play it right

You got to know

when to hold 'em

know when to fold 'em

know when to walk away

know when to run

You never count your money

when you're sittin'

at the table

there'll be time

enough for countin'

when the dealin's done

Now every gambler knows

the secret to survivin'

is knowin' what

to throw away

knowin' what to keep

'Cause every hand's a winner

and every hand's a loser

and the best

you can hope for

is to die in your sleep

So when he'd finished speakin'

he turned back

toward the window

crushed out his cigarette

and faded off to sleep

Then somewhere

in the darkness

the gambler he broke even

but in his final words

I found an ace

that I could keep

You got to know

when to hold 'em

know when to fold 'em

know when to walk away

know when to run

You never count your money

when you're sittin'

at the table

there'll be time

enough for countin'

when the dealin's done

You got to know

when to hold 'em

know when to fold 'em

know when to walk away

know when to run

You never count your money

when you're sittin'

at the table

there'll be time

enough for countin'

when the dealin's done

You got to know

when to hold 'em

know when to fold 'em

know when to walk away

know when to run

You never count your money

when you're sittin'

at the table

there'll be time

enough for countin'

when the dealin's done