Omaha poker emerged in the early 1980s as a variation of Texas Hold’em, likely originating in the Midwestern U.S. The main change was giving players four hole cards instead of two, while requiring them to use exactly two with the board.
The added cards created bigger hands and more action, which quickly made the game popular in card rooms and casinos. It later gained mainstream recognition through the WSOP, with Pot-Limit Omaha (PLO) becoming the most widely played format.
Omaha was essentially created to add action while keeping Hold’em’s core structure intact.