When you stop to think about it, The Gambler gives the song's narrator some pretty lousy advice. Sure he tells him that he's got to know when to hold 'em, know when to fold 'em, etc. But he doesn't give him any insight about how he's supposed to know these things. Are these just the ramblings of a dying old man that only sound profound?
- Well, he does give the advice "The best that you can hope for is to die in your sleep" immediately before following it himself, as well as the whole "time enough for counting when the dealing's done" thing with the context of the narrtor being visibly depressed. Sort of a baby boomer Hakuna Matada.
