On a warm summer’s evenin’ on a train bound for nowhere,
I met up with the 
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 a life out of readin’ people’s 
faces,
And knowin’ what their cards were by the way they held their 
eyes.
So if you don’t mind my 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.
And the night got deathly quiet, and his face lost all 
expression.
Said, if you’re gonna play the game, boy, ya gotta learn to play 
it right.

You got to know when to hold ’em, know when to fold 
’em,
Know when to walk away and 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 ev’ry gambler knows that the secret to 
survivin’
Is knowin’ what to throw away and knowing what to keep.
’cause 
ev’ry hand’s a winner and ev’ry hand’s a loser,
And the best that you can 
hope for is to die in your sleep.

So when he’d finished speakin’, he 
turned back towards 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 and 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 and know when to 
run.
You never count you r money when you’re sittin’ at the 
table.
There’ll be time enough for countin’ when the dealin’s done.