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The Gambler

Chords

4.93,328 votes

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Lyrics & ChordsClick chords to see diagrams

Original key Eb
The first few lines are picking then he goes into the strumming.
[Verse 1]
On a Gwarm summer's evenin' on a Ctrain bound for Gnowhere,
I Cmet up with the Ggambler; we were both too tired to Dsleep.
So Gwe took turns a starin' out the Cwindow at the Gdarkness
'til Cboredom overGtook us, Dand he began to Gspeak.
[Verse 2]
He said, G"Son, I've made a life out of Creadin' people's Gfaces,
and Cknowin' what their Gcards were by the way they held their eDyes.
And if Gyou don't mind my sayin', I can Csee you're out of Gaces.
For a Ctaste of your Gwhiskey I'll Dgive you some Gadvice."
[Verse 3]
So I Ghanded him my bottle and he Cdrank down my last Gswallow. 
CThen he bummed a Gcigarette and asked me for a liDght.
And the Gnight got deathly quiet, and his Cface lost all exprGession.
Said, "If you're Cgonna play the game, Gboy, ya gotta Dlearn to play it Gright.
[Chorus]
You got to Gknow when to hold 'em, Cknow when to Gfold 'em,
Cknow when to Gwalk away and know when to Drun.
You never Gcount your money when you're Csittin' at the Gtable.
There'll be time Cenough for Gcountin' Dwhen the dealin's Gdone.
[Verse 4] (transpose +1 here if you want to play it correctly)
GEv'ry gambler knows that the sCecret to surviGvin'
is Cknowin' what to Gthrow away and knowing what to Dkeep.
'Cause Gev'ry hand's a winner and Cev'ry hand's a Gloser,
and the Cbest that you can Ghope for is to Ddie in your Gsleep."
[Verse 5]
And Gwhen he'd finished speakin', he Cturned back towards the Gwindow,
Ccrushed out his Gcigarette and faded off to Dsleep.
And Gsomewhere in the darkness the Cgambler, he broke Geven.
But Cin his final Gwords I found an Dace that I could Gkeep.
[Chorus] 
You got to Gknow when to hold 'em, Cknow when to Gfold 'em,
Cknow when to Gwalk away and know when to Drun.
You never Gcount your money when you're Csittin' at the Gtable.
There'll be time Cenough for Gcountin' Dwhen the dealin's Gdone.
You got to Gknow when to hold 'em, Cknow when to Gfold 'em,
Cknow when to Gwalk away and know when to Drun.
You never Gcount your money when you're Csittin' at the Gtable.
There'll be time Cenough for Gcountin' Dwhen the dealin's Gdone.
You got to Gknow when to hold 'em, Cknow when to Gfold 'em,
Cknow when to Gwalk away and know when to Drun.
You never Gcount your money when you're Csittin' at the Gtable.
There'll be time Cenough for Gcountin' Dwhen the dealin's Gdone.

All chords in this song (3)

The story behind the song

"The Gambler" tells the story of a chance encounter on a train, where a seasoned gambler shares his life philosophy with a down-on-his-luck narrator. Through poker metaphors, the gambler imparts wisdom about knowing what to keep, what to discard, and when to fight or walk away. The songwriter, Don Schlitz, felt this song was deeply inspired by his late father. At its heart, it's a reflection on life's lessons and the choices we make.

AI-written from these sources:The Gambler (song) — Wikipedia ↗Kenny Rogers — Wikipedia ↗MusicBrainz ↗

🎸 Tips from players

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Chord Book

670,000+ free guitar chords · free-chords.com

The Gambler

by Kenny Rogers

Lyrics & chords · Original key

Chords in this song · guitar

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 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 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 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 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 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 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 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 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 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.

About The Gambler Chords by Kenny Rogers

Learn how to play The Gambler by Kenny Rogers with free guitar chords, lyrics, and interactive chord diagrams. Search for “The Gambler chords”, “The Gambler guitar chords”, or “Kenny Rogers The Gambler chords” and you will find this page — transpose to any key, tap chords for diagrams, and use auto-scroll while you play. Perfect for beginners looking for easy The Gambler chords and for experienced players who want accurate The Gambler lyrics and chords in one place. Common chords in this song include Eb, G, C, D.

FAQ — The Gambler by Kenny Rogers

How do I play "The Gambler" by Kenny Rogers on guitar?

Open the free chords for "The Gambler" by Kenny Rogers on Free Chord Book. Tap any chord to see its diagram, use transpose to change the key, and turn on auto-scroll to play hands-free.

Are the chords for "The Gambler" by Kenny Rogers free?

Yes. The chords for "The Gambler" by Kenny Rogers are 100% free on Free Chord Book — no sign-up required.

Can I transpose "The Gambler" to a different key?

Yes. Use the transpose buttons on the song page to shift "The Gambler" up or down by half-steps so it matches your vocal range or capo position.

Can I see chord diagrams for "The Gambler"?

Yes. Tap any chord in "The Gambler" to instantly see an interactive guitar chord diagram with alternate fingerings.

Is "The Gambler" easy to play on guitar?

Many players learn "The Gambler" by Kenny Rogers with our free chords. Use transpose and chord diagrams to simplify tricky shapes, and browse related songs by Kenny Rogers below.

What key is "The Gambler" in?

The chords for "The Gambler" show the original chord names (including Eb, G, C, D). Use transpose to move the song into any key that fits your voice or capo.