on a warm summer s eve 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 the boredom overtook us he began to speak he said son i ve made a life out of readin people s faces knowin what the 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 faced lost all expression he said if you re gonna play the game boy you gotta learn to play it right you ve 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 every gambler knows that the secret to survivin is knowin what to throw away and knowin what to keep cause every hand s a winner and every hand s 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 crushed out his cigarette and 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 ve 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 ve 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 ve 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