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 a life out of readin' people's faces And knowin' what the cards were by the way that they were held 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 my last cigarette and he asked me for a light And that night got deathly quiet and his face lost all expression He 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 got to count your money when you're sittin' at the table There'll be time enough for countin' when the dealing's done Every gambler knows that the secret to survivin' Is knowin' what to throw away and what to keep 'Cause every hand's a winner and every hand is a loser And the best that you can hope for is to die in your sleep And when he finished speakin', he turned back toward the window He crushed out his cigarette and he faded off to sleep And somewhere in the darkness, the gambler, he broke even And 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 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 sittin' at the table There'll be time enough for countin' when the dealing's done