On a warm
summer's evening
on a train bound
for nowhere
I met up with a gambler
we were both
too tired to sleep
So we took
turns a-staring
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 reading
people's faces
and knowing what
their cards were
by the way they
held their eyes
So if you don't
mind my saying
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
And 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 sitting
at the table
there'll be time enough
for counting
when the dealing's done
Now every gambler knows
that the secret
to surviving
is knowing what to
throw away
knowing 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
finished speaking
he turned back
toward the window
crushed out
his cigarette
and faded off to sleep
And 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 sitting
at the table
there'll be time enough
for counting
when the dealing'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 sitting
at the table
there'll be time enough
for counting
when the dealing'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 sitting
at the table
there'll be time enough
for counting
when the dealing's done