In a bit of an interesting move, Apple has removed its Texas Hold'em game from the App Store, potentially marking the end of the only game Apple ever produced on its own for the App Store.
Texas Hold'em began life as a game for non-iOS iPod models, debuting in late 2006. As Apple introduced the iPhone just a few months later, rumors circulated that Apple was getting serious about gaming, in part evidenced by its in-house work on Texas Hold'em for the iPod.
When Apple officially launched the App Store for the iPhone and iPod touch in 2008 to allow third-party developers to create apps for iOS, Texas Hold'em appeared as a debut title with greatly enhanced functionality over the traditional iPod version, further fueling claims of Apple's interest in pursuing game development of its own.
Apple's early interest in producing its own games for the iPod and later iOS appear to have stemmed from concerns over its ability to attract third-party developers to the platform, or at least to provide those developers with an example of what could be done on the devices. As large developers such as EA and Gameloft and a host of smaller developers all flocked to the platform, Apple undoubtedly quickly discovered that it did not need to support its devices with its own gaming content.
Unsurprisingly, Apple has not released any information on the reason behind the disappearance of Texas Hold'em, which sold for $4.99 and was last updated in September 2008. A dedicated page about the game remains active on Apple's site at this time, although it is not featured on or linked to from other App Store pages on the site.
(Thanks, Travis!)
Update: Apple has now removed the Texas Hold'em feature page from apple.com.
Saturday February 7, 2026 9:26 am PST by Joe Rossignol
Apple today shared an ad that shows how the upgraded Center Stage front camera on the latest iPhones improves the process of taking a group selfie.
"Watch how the new front facing camera on iPhone 17 Pro takes group selfies that automatically expand and rotate as more people come into frame," says Apple. While the ad is focused on the iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max, the regular iPhone...
Monday February 9, 2026 6:24 am PST by Joe Rossignol
In select U.S. states, residents can add their driver's license or state ID to the Apple Wallet app on the iPhone and Apple Watch, and then use it to display proof of identity or age at select airports and businesses, and in select apps.
The feature is currently available in 13 U.S. states and Puerto Rico, and it is expected to launch in at least seven more in the future.
To set up the...
Tuesday February 10, 2026 4:27 pm PST by Juli Clover
Apple is planning to launch new MacBook Pro models as soon as early March, but if you can, this is one generation you should skip because there's something much better in the works.
We're waiting on 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro models with M5 Pro and M5 Max chips, with few changes other than the processor upgrade. There won't be any tweaks to the design or the display, but later this...
Wednesday February 11, 2026 10:07 am PST by Juli Clover
Apple today released iOS 26.3 and iPadOS 26.3, the latest updates to the iOS 26 and iPadOS 26 operating systems that came out in September. The new software comes almost two months after Apple released iOS 26.2 and iPadOS 26.2.
The new software can be downloaded on eligible iPhones and iPads over-the-air by going to Settings > General > Software Update.
According to Apple's release notes, ...
Tuesday February 10, 2026 6:33 am PST by Joe Rossignol
It has been a slow start to 2026 for Apple product launches, with only a new AirTag and a special Apple Watch band released so far. We are still waiting for MacBook Pro models with M5 Pro and M5 Max chips, the iPhone 17e, a lower-cost MacBook with an iPhone chip, long-rumored updates to the Apple TV and HomePod mini, and much more.
Apple is expected to release/update the following products...
The game looks dated like a CD-ROM game from 1996. I'm sure it didn't live up to Apple's standards anymore when compared to what else was available. Most of the reviews in the past year were bad anyways and complaining about how it hasn't been updated.
I just ena apple support, requesting reimbursement for the $4.99 I spent on this app. Will post once I receive a response.
You likely won't get a refund. Especially if you bought it back when it first released.
The TC says all sales are final. It also says that apps could be removed from the store for a number of reasons including the developer wants it removed. It doesn't stop working if it is removed from the store after all. Also the version of iOS it was made for is rather clear from the last update date, the requirements etc so it is isn't working so awesome you should have been able to guess that could happen from the last update being 3 years ago.
Basically you have zero grounds to demand a refund, you won't likely get one and they will probably politely say no and suggest you read the TC you agreed to when you created your account and many times since then. Yeah yeah you didn't bother reading it any of those times. You still agreed to follow them.
Here are some reasons:
- Apple does no longer see iDevices as gaming devices. (http://www.appleinsider.com/articles/09/11/06/doom_game_creator_suggests_apple_embarrassed_about_iphone_gaming.html)
That's a two-year old quote from Carmack. I tend to doubt that is still the prevailing opinion of Apple execs, if it even was truly the prevailing opinion at the time.
Damn. I play this all the time and was hoping for an update soon. It's hasnt worked properly for a while now. Winning a table and taking 12BB to the final is no good to anyone.
