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The Gambler

Dennis Brown (not the Jamaican reggae singer) might not look a whole lot like Kenny Rogers and could probably use a few tips. But on the other hand, he sounds just like him. Here’s a clip where he cover’s Kenny’s smash hit “The Gambler”.

View the video here: Dennis Brown’s “The Gambler”

He has made covers of all kinds of classic songs, mainly country, bluegrass and '50s rock’n’roll. This is probably one of Dennis Brown’s best performances; close your eyes and you’ll think it’s actually Kenny singing.

“The Gambler” is the title track of the 1978 Kenny Rogers’ album with the same name. What many people don’t know is that it was originally written and recorded by Don Schlitz. But, it was Kenny that made it really big. He made it to #1 on the Billboard country music charts and in early 1979 it made it to #16 at the pop chart. With the increased interest for online gambling and games like Texas holdem this song has once again become popular and even found a new audience.

The song tells the story of a meeting late one night at a train between the story teller (Rogers) and an old road gambler. The old man tells him that he can see that he’s out of aces and offers Rogers advice in exchange for his last whiskey. After receiving a sip of the whiskey and a cigarette the gambler gives the following advice:

“If you got to play the game boy, you got 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 dealin's done.”

This song is often interpreted as a metaphor for life. To hold’em means to stand your ground and to fold’em to retreat – basically you need to choose your battles wisely to survive the hardships of living.

It seems like life is kind to Dennis Brown (no the other one), getting a small hit one YouTube with a song that is a cover of a cover!


The Gambler Dennis Brown (not the Jamaican reggae singer) might not look a whole lot like Kenny Rogers and could probably use a few tips. But on the other hand, he sounds just like him. Here’s a clip where he cover’s Kenny’s smash hit “The Gambler”. View the video here: Dennis Brown’s “The Gambler” He has made covers of all kinds of classic songs, mainly country, bluegrass and '50s rock’n’roll. This is probably one of Dennis Brown’s best performances; close your eyes and you’ll think it’s actually Kenny singing. “The Gambler” is the title track of the 1978 Kenny Rogers’ album with the same name. What many people don’t know is that it was originally written and recorded by Don Schlitz. But, it was Kenny that made it really big. He made it to #1 on the Billboard country music charts and in early 1979 it made it to #16 at the pop chart. With the increased interest for online gambling and games like Texas holdem this song has once again become popular and even found a new audience. The song tells the story of a meeting late one night at a train between the story teller (Rogers) and an old road gambler. The old man tells him that he can see that he’s out of aces and offers Rogers advice in exchange for his last whiskey. After receiving a sip of the whiskey and a cigarette the gambler gives the following advice: “If you got to play the game boy, you got 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 dealin's done.” This song is often interpreted as a metaphor for life. To hold’em means to stand your ground and to fold’em to retreat – basically you need to choose your battles wisely to survive the hardships of living. It seems like life is kind to Dennis Brown (no the other one), getting a small hit one YouTube with a song that is a cover of a cover!