The Gambler

by Kenny Rogers

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On a warm summer's evening on a train bound for nowhere

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I met up with the gambler we were both too tired to sleep

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So we took turns a staring out the window at the darkness

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Till boredom overtook us  and he began to speak

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He said Son I've made a life out of reading people's faces

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And knowing what their cards were by the way they held their eyes

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And if you don't mind my saying I can see you're out of aces

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For a taste of your whiskey I'll give you some advice

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So I handed him my bottle and he drank down my last swallow

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Then he bummed a cigarette and asked me for a light

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And the night got deathly quiet and his face lost all expression

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Said if you're gonna play the game boy  ya gotta learn to play it right

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You got to know when to hold 'em  know when to fold 'em

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know when to walk away and know when to run

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You never count your money when you're sitting at the table

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There'll be time enough for counting when the dealings done

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Every gambler knows that the secret to surviving

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Is knowing what to throw away and knowing what to keep

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Cause every hand's a winner and every hand's a loser

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And the best that you can hope for is to die in your sleep

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And when he'd finished speaking he turned back towards the window

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Crushed out his cigarette and faded off to sleep

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And somewhere in the darkness the gambler he broke even

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But in his final words I found an ace that I could keep

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