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The Gambler by Kenny Rogers - Guitar Chords

Version 1 Version 2 Version 3 Version 4 Version 6 Version 7
            Original key Eb
The first few lines are picking then he goes into the strumming.


[Verse 1]

     G                          C               G
On a warm summer's evenin' on a train bound for nowhere,
  C               G                C                 D
I met up with the gambler; we were both too tired to sleep.
   G                               C             G
So we took turns a starin' out the window at the darkness
     C           G        D               G
'til boredom overtook us, and he began to speak.


[Verse 2]

         G                             C                G
He said, "Son, I've made a life out of readin' people's faces,
    C                  G                 C                   D
and knowin' what their cards were by the way they held their eyes.
       G                               C                 G
And if you don't mind my sayin', I can see you're out of aces.
      C             G            D             G
For a taste of your whiskey I'll give you some advice."


[Verse 3]

     G                           C                  G
So I handed him my bottle and he drank down my last swallow. 
C                G             C              D
Then he bummed a cigarette and asked me for a light.
        G                                C                 G
And the night got deathly quiet, and his face lost all expression.
                 C                    G             D                G
Said, "If you're gonna play the game, boy, ya gotta learn to play it right.


[Chorus]

           G                     C             G
You got to know when to hold 'em, know when to fold 'em,
C            G         C                D
know when to walk away and know when to run.
          G                            C              G
You never count your money when you're sittin' at the table.
                 C          G        D                 G
There'll be time enough for countin' when the dealin's done.


[Verse 4] (transpose +1 here if you want to play it correctly)

G                             C             G
Ev'ry gambler knows that the secret to survivin'
   C               G              C               D
is knowin' what to throw away and knowing what to keep.
       G                         C              G
'Cause ev'ry hand's a winner and ev'ry hand's a loser,
        C                 G              D           G
and the best that you can hope for is to die in your sleep."


[Verse 5]

    G                               C                       G
And when he'd finished speakin', he turned back towards the window,
C               G             C            D
crushed out his cigarette and faded off to sleep.
    G                             C                 G
And somewhere in the darkness the gambler, he broke even.
    C            G                D                G
But in his final words I found an ace that I could keep.


[Chorus] 

           G                     C             G
You got to know when to hold 'em, know when to fold 'em,
C            G         C                D
know when to walk away and know when to run.
          G                            C              G
You never count your money when you're sittin' at the table.
                 C          G        D                 G
There'll be time enough for countin' when the dealin's done.

           G                     C             G
You got to know when to hold 'em, know when to fold 'em,
C            G         C                D
know when to walk away and know when to run.
          G                            C              G
You never count your money when you're sittin' at the table.
                 C          G        D                 G
There'll be time enough for countin' when the dealin's done.

           G                     C             G
You got to know when to hold 'em, know when to fold 'em,
C            G         C                D
know when to walk away and know when to run.
          G                            C              G
You never count your money when you're sittin' at the table.
                 C          G        D                 G
There'll be time enough for countin' when the dealin's done.
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