The Gambler

“The Gambler,” a song written by Don Schlitz, was made famous by country singer Kenny Rogers in 1978. The song features a mysterious character—a lifelong gambler—whom the singer meets by chance on a train “bound for nowhere.” The gambler offers worldly advice, based on his experiences as a gambler, in exchange for a swig of whiskey and a cigarette.
 

Song lyrics

On a warm summer's eve/On a train bound for nowhere
I met up with the gambler/We were both too tired to sleep
So we took turns a-starin'/Out the window at the darkness
The boredom overtook us,/And he began to speak

He said, "Son, I've made a life/Out of readin' people's faces
Knowin' what the cards were/By the way they held their eyes
So if you don't mind me sayin'/I can see you're out of aces
For a taste of your whiskey/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
He said, "If you're gonna play the game, boy/You gotta learn to play it right

You've 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 counting/When the dealin's done

Every gambler knows/That the secret to survivin'
Is knowin' what to throw away/And knowin' 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

And when he finished speakin'/He turned back toward the window
Crushed out his cigarette/And faded off to sleep
And somewhere in the darkness/The gambler he broke even
But in his final words/I found an ace that I could keep

You've 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 dealin's done