10 Greatest Gambling Songs

There’s plenty of music to choose from out there, but most regular readers of Dare to Gamble will no doubt be partial to songs about the art of gambling. That’s why I’ve compiled this list of the 10 greatest gambling songs of all time. Whether you listen to them in the shower or during a high stakes poker game, these songs are bound to get you psyched up. They are, in no particular order:

1. “Casino Queen” by Wilco - I don’t know if the members of this alternative/country/rock group have won any money gambling, but I doubt it. Just look at some of the lyrics from this up-tempo ode to losing it all at the casino:

“I hit the second deck and I spend my paycheck,

And my wife that I just met, she’s looking like a wreck.”

2. “The Jack” by AC/DC - Nobody can write a song with double entendres like AC/DC. This song came out during the early Bon Scott years and tells of a woman who gives the narrator the clap. However, all the imagery in the song is described with card-playing terms.

"Her deuce was wild, but my ace was high.”

Add Angus Young’s excellent guitar work to the mix, and you’ve got yourself one of the all-time great gambling/venereal disease songs.

3. “Shape of My Heart” by Sting - With a slower tempo than most songs on our list, this masterfully crafted Sting song is about a gambler who plays to discover some deeper meaning to life. Most gamblers don’t happen to be philosophers in their spare time, but the former lead singer of The Police makes it all seem perfectly believable. Beautifully arranged with noteworthy lyrics, this one is required listening.

4. “Ace of Spades” by Motorhead - The biggest hit for Lemmy and company, this song is all about risk, loss, and the devil-may-care attitude personified by rock and roll icons like Motorhead. The ace of spades was also a key ingredient in the “Dead Man’s Hand” (the poker hand held by gunfighter Wild Bill Hickok just before he was shot in the back of the head). If you like softer music, then this is one you may want to avoid. Otherwise, crank it up.

5. “Rambling, Gambling Willie” by Bob Dylan - With his unique voice and phrasing, Bob Dylan sings the tale of the greatest gambler who ever lived. With twenty-seven children, Willie O’Conley played cards anywhere a game was to be had. Tragically, he was shot in the face during a game (his cards revealed that he had the infamous “Dead Man’s Hand”). Of course, Mr. O’Conley was a work of fiction, but it’s still a damned entertaining song.

6. “The Devil Went Down to Georgia” by The Charlie Daniels Band - Sure, this song doesn’t really involve a game of cards or craps, but it does revolve around a young boy named Johnny making a wager with Satan. If that’s not gambling, then I don’t know what is! On the line is a golden fiddle and Johnny’s soul, but before the outcome is revealed, the audience is treated to some of the best fiddle playing ever heard. This one is bound to make you tap your feet.

7. “Luck Be a Lady” by Frank Sinatra - The Chairman of the Board croons this classic song about Lady Luck and her latest beau. Just take a look at some of the lyrics:

"Luck let a gentleman see,

Just how nice a dame you can be.

I know the way you’ve treated other guys you’ve been with,

Luck be a lady with me."

The entire song evokes images of smoky gambling halls and a Las Vegas from days gone by.

8. “Blackjack” by Ray Charles - Wailing this song about his losses at the Blackjack table, Ray Charles once again proves why he’s one of the great musicians of the modern age. You can literally feel the agony in his voice as he sings lines like, “How unlucky can one man be?”.

9. “Viva Ls Vegas” by Elvis Presley - The definitive song about the city of Las Vegas, The King of Rock and Roll is in rare form on this recording. As he sings about roulette wheels, pretty girls and loads of cash, you’ll have to tie yourself down to prevent an impromptu trip to Sin City. The rhythm of the song is also about as addictive as a craps table. This one just can’t be beat.

10. “The Gambler” by Kenny Rogers - Released in the late 70s, this song tells the story of an old gambler who boards a train and encounters a much younger card player. As the trip wears on, the old man shares his wisdom before finally passing away in his sleep. Of course, one piece of advice is the famous line, “You’ve gotta know when to hold’em and know when to fold’em.” In my opinion, this is the greatest gambling song of all time (as well as being the most recognizable).

10 Greatest Gambling Songs