Kenny Rogers released the song, The Gambler.
Kenny Rogers . Two of his albums , The Gambler and Kenny , are featured in the About.com poll of `` The 200 Most Influential Country Albums Ever '' . The Gambler (album) . The title track `` The Gambler '' was written by Don Schlitz , who was the first to record it . It was also covered by several other artists , but it was Kenny Rogers ' adaptation of the tale that went on to top the country charts and win a Song of the Year Grammy , later becoming Rogers ' signature song . Although Johnny Cash recorded the song first , Kenny Rogers 's version was released first . Both this song and `` She Believes in Me '' became pop music hits , helping Rogers become well-known beyond country music circles .