The Gambler
Air: Bob-Tail Mare [Camptown Races] 
Put's Original California Songster
Sacramento: Gardiner & Kirk, 1854
A Gambler's life I do admire,
Du-da, du-da,
The best of rum they do require,
Du-da, du-da, da;
The poker sharps begin to pout,
Du-da, du-da,
I played all night and cleaned them out,
Du-da, du-da, da.
Chorus:
I'm bound to play all night,
I'm bound to play all day;
I bet my money on the ace and king,
Who dare bet on the trey
Monte's mighty hard to beat,
Du-da, du-da,
They say the dealer's bound to treat, Du-da, du-da, da;
Bar-keeper, give me a glass of porter, Du-da, du-da,
Gin for me, with a glass of water, Du-da, du-da, da.
Chorus:
I'm bound to play all night,
I'm bound to play all day;
I bet my money on the ace and king,
Who dare bet on the trey?
The king's a lay out from the top,
Du-da, du-da,
That's where I let my money drop,
Du-da, du-da, da;
I like to deal, and I like to buck,
Du-da, du-da,
I'm down on noisly chuck-aluck,
Du-da, du-da, da.
Chorus:
I'm bound to play all night,
I'm bound to play all day;
I bet my money on the ace and king.
Who dare bet on the trey?
There's faro, sledge, and twenty-one,
Du-da, du-da,
For me to beat 'tis only fun,
Du-da, du-da, da,
Gamblers, always hold your tongue,
Du-da, du-da,
French monte-dealers have, all been hung,
Du-da, du-da, da.
Chorus:
I'm bound to play all night,
I'm bound to play all day;
I bet my money on the ace and king.
Who dare bet on the trey?
What will we do these license times,
Du-da, du-da,
I'll steal before I'll work the mines,
Du-da, du-da, da;
The miners used to bet their dust,
Du-da, du-da,
But now they lay it away to rust,
Du-da, du—da, da.
Chorus:
I'm bound to play all night,
I'm bound to play all day;
I bet my money on the ace and king.
Who dare bet on the trey?
I used to wear a ruffled adurt,
Du-da, du-da,
But now I'm covered with rags and dirt,
Du-da, du-da, da;
A Colt's revolver and a Bowie-knife,
Du-da, du-da,
I'm bound to gamble all my life,
Du-da, du-da, da.
Chorus:
I'm bound to play all night,
I'm bound to play all day;
I bet my money on the ace and king.
Who dare bet on the trey
Score from Library of Congress
Score from Lester s. Levy Collection
MIDI file of "Camptown Races" (Used by permission of B. R. Tubb from his website at Public Domain Music.)