on a warm summers eve on a train bound for nowhere i met up with the gambler we were both too tired to sleep so we took turns astarin out the window at the darkness the boredom overtook us and he began to speakhe said son ive made a life out of readin peoples faces knowin what the cards were by the way they held their eyes so if you dont mind me sayin i can see youre out of aces for a taste of your whiskey ill give you some adviceso 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 youre gonna play the game boy you gotta learn to play it rightyouve 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 youre sittin at the table therell be time enough for countin when the dealins doneevery gambler knows that the secret to survivin is knowin what to throw away and knowin what to keep cause every hands a winner and every hands a loser and the best that you can hope for is to die in your sleepand 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 but in his final words i found an ace that i could keepyouve 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 youre sittin at the table therell be time enough for countin when the dealins doneyouve got to know when to hold em when to hold em know when to fold em when to fold em know when to walk away and know when to run you never count your money when youre sittin at the table therell be time enough for countin when the dealins doneyouve 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 youre sittin at the table therell be time enough for countin when the dealins done