He said, "Son, I've made a life
Out of readin' people's faces
Knowing what the cards were
By the way they held their eyes
So if you don't mind my saying
I can see you're out of aces
For a taste of your whisky
I'll give you some advice"

So 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 face lost all expression
Said, "If you're gonna play the game, boy
You gotta learn to play it right"

You 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 you're sittin' at the table
There'll be time enough for countin'
When the dealing's done

"Every gambler knows
That the secret to surviving
Is knowing what to throw away
Knowing what to keep
'Cause every hand's a winner
And every hand's a loser
And the best that you can hope for
Is to die in your sleep"

The gamb