Reply #7: Yep.. he stayed too long at the party. he should have listened to Kenny Rogers [View All]

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 dealin's done.
”

The gambler then mentions that the "secret to survivin' is knowing what to throw away and knowing what to keep" and that the best you can hope for is to "die in your sleep". At this point, the gambler puts out the cigarette and goes to sleep.

At the end of the song we are told that "somewhere in the darkness the gambler he broke even" (dies), and that the narrator finds "an ace that I could keep" in his final words.

......

The song itself tells the story of a late-night meeting on a train between Rogers (as narrator) and an unnamed gambler. The gambler tells Rogers that he can tell Rogers is down on his luck ("out of aces") by the look in his eyes and offers him advice in exchange for the last swallow of whiskey Rogers has. After the gambler takes the drink (and a cigarette), he gives the following advice:
“ 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 dealin's done.
”

The gambler then mentions that the "secret to survivin' is knowing what to throw away and knowing what to keep" and that the best you can hope for is to "die in your sleep". At this point, the gambler puts out the cigarette and goes to sleep.

At the end of the song we are told that "somewhere in the darkness the gambler he broke even" (dies), and that the narrator finds "an ace that I could keep" in his final words.

Analysis

The song is often characterized as a metaphor for life in that you need to know when to stand your ground (when to hold 'em) and when to retreat (when to fold 'em). The gambler has learned that the trick to life isn't the cards you've been dealt, but how to play them (every hand being a "winner" or a "loser" depending on how they are played). The "ace" that Rogers refers to in the end is this advice.


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Gambler_(song)