On the 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 window at the darkness
Till boredom overtook us
And he commenced to speak
He said, "Son I made a life
Out of reading people's faces
And knowing what the cards were
By the way they held their eyes
And if you don't mind my saying
I can see you're out of aces
For a taste of your whiskey
I'd give you some advice"
So I handed him my bottle
And he drank down my last swallow
Then he bummed a cigarette
Then he bummed a light
And the night got deathly quiet
And his face lost all expression
He said, "If you gonna play the game boy
You gotta learn to play it right"
Now you gotta know when to hold
Know when to fold
Know when to walk away
Know when to run
And you never count your money
When you're sitting at the table
There'll be time enough for counting
When the dealing is done
He said, every gambler knows
That the secret to survival
Is knowing what to throw away
And knowing what to keep
Cause every hand's a winner
Just like every hand's a loser
And the best that you can hope for
Is to die in your sleep
When he finished speaking
He turned back toward the window
Crushed out his cigarette
Faded off to sleep
Somewhere in the darkness
The gambler he broke even
And in his final words I found
An ace that I could keep
You gotta know when to hold
Know when to fold
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 is done
You gotta know when to hold
Know when to fold
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 is done
There'll be time enough for counting
When the dealing is done