The year 2007 was a momentous and newsworthy one in the world of poker, and PokerHelper.com was there every step of the way to cover it.

Here is a recap of the biggest poker stories of the second half of 2007, as covered by PokerHelper.com:

In JULY, the WORLD SERIES OF POKER (WSOP) continued in LAS VEGAS, winding its way through 55 separate poker tournaments to the final tourney, the main event.

PHIL “POKER BRAT” HELLMUTH JR., a TOP POKER PRO, was injured when the RACE CAR he was driving in a Vegas CASINO PARKING LOT crashed into a barrier. He was driving the car as part of a PUBLICITY STUNT for an ONLINE POKER ROOM he shills for. The mishap didn’t keep him from the WSOP.

Two co-founders of Internet money-transfer service NETELLER, who were arrested by the U.S. GOVERNMENT for facilitating online gambling, PLEADED GUILTY to charges and await sentencing.

A total of 6,358 people entered the main event of the WSOP, down 28% from last year’s main event, which a record 8,773 people entered. The drop-off was blamed on ANTI-ONLINE GAMBLING LEGISLATION passed by the U.S. CONGRESS last year, which cracked down on ONLINE POKER ROOMS and other ONLINE GAMBLING SITES. Many WSOP entrants last year earned their seats by winning ONLINE POKER TOURNAMENTS.

A 94-year-old man from INDIANA, the OLDEST PARTICIPANT at the WSOP, was profiled.

DR. JERRY YANG, a 39-year-old PSYCHOLOGIST from TEMECULA, CALIFORNIA, who publicly prayed for victory, won the WSOP main event and $8.25 million, about $4 million less than last year’s winner, JAMIE GOLD, earned.

A new ONLINE POKER ROOM called GPC POKER ROOM debuted. NETELLER agreed to pay a fine of $136 million in connection with the ARREST of its CO-FOUNDERS.

NETELLER continued to ban customers from specific countries. ISRAEL was added to the ban list, joing CANADA, TURKEY and the USA.

A FLORIDA man accused of leaving his two KIDS in a CAR while he played POKER was arrested, charged with child neglect and jailed.

COMPUTER GEEKS from the UNIVERSITY OF ALBERTA in CANADA created a POKER-PLAYING COMPUTER and it played against a pair of TOP POKER PROS. The PROS won.

An INDIANA man was shot during an ARMED ROBBERY of a HOME POKER GAME.

In AUGUST, a dozen people, including two former SHERRIFF’S DEPUTIES from NORTH CAROLINA, were arrested by the FBI for running a VIDEO POKER operation.

ECOCARD, an E-WALLET used by ONLINE GAMBLERS, banned U.S. CUSTOMERS.

HOME POKER GAMES in VIRGINIA, UTAH and TEXAS were robbed by ARMED GUNMEN.

Two men in COLORADO were arresting for PLOTTING THE MURDER of a third man who OWED THEM POKER WINNINGS. The intended murder weapon was a POISONOUS SNAKE.

The POKER PLAYERS ALLIANCE (PPA), a LOBBY GROUP trying to get ONLINE POKER legalized, announced it was moving its BASE OF OPERATIONS from SAN FRANCISCO to WASHINGTON, D.C., to be closer to the LEGISLATORS it wants to INFLUENCE.

Police in CANADA arrested seven people for running a total of four ILLEGAL POKER DENS in the TORONTO area.

In SEPTEMBER, an ONLINE GAMBLING SITE called BODOG, which offers POKER and other wagering, lost its longtime WEB ADDRESS in a LAWSUIT and had to SCRAMBLE to come up with a new one.

The inaugural WORLD SERIES OF POKER EUROPE (WSOPE) got underway in LONDON, ENGLAND. It featured three separate POKER TOURNAMENTS, compared to the 55 that make up the regular WSOP.

LIZ “POKER DIVA” LIEU, a top female POKER PRO, was hired by CHILI POKER, an ONLINE POKER ROOM, to shill for it.

Five people WERE SHOT and two of them died when a POKER GAME on the CARIBBEAN ISLAND of TRINIDAD got out of control.

MIKE GRACZ, who won a WSOP tourney in 2005 and earned almost $600,000, was ARRESTED when an ILLEGAL CASINO in NORTH CAROLINA was raided by police. It was his second bust for playing poker illegally.

The main event of the first-ever WSOPE was won by a Norwegian teenager, ANNETTE OBRESTAD. She was the YOUNGEST PERSON and FIRST FEMALE ever to win a WSOP or WSOPE main event.

DAN GOLDMAN, who resigned earlier in the year as the TOP MARKETING MAN for POKER STARS, an ONLINE POKER ROOM, joined DUPLICATE POKER in the same capacity. DUPLICATE POKER, a legal ONLINE POKER ROOM based in the USA, offers prizes but is FREE to play.

ARMED BANDITS robbed a POKER TOURNEY at a KNIGHTS OF COLUMBUS hall in TENNESSEE.

OBRESTAD was hired by BETFAIR, an ONLINE GAMBLING SITE, as a PAID SHILL.

POKER ROOMS were legalized in NEW HAMPSHIRE.

In OCTOBER, the U.S. SUPREME COURT told an INDIAN TRIBE in SOUTH CAROLINA it couldn’t install VIDEO POKER MACHINES on its reservation.

A man in NEBRASKA who is a QUADRIPLEGIC told how he plays POKER using a special device invented JUST FOR HIM.

A new POKER LEAGUE with franchises in 25 U.S. cities got underway. PokerHelper.com broke the story that some of the franchises had names that were the same as PRO SPORTS TEAMS, and could be in legal jeopardy. The league then changed the names of several of its franchises.

ZERO RISK POKER, a legal ONLINE POKER ROOM based in the USA, opened.

A man from TEXAS who placed sixth at the WSOP main event last year was arrested in SAN ANTONIO for running an ONLINE SPORTS BETTING SITE.

ADAM GERBER won the 2007 U.S. POKER CHAMPIONSHIP.

In NEW JERSEY, a PROBATION OFFICER was caught running an ILLEGAL POKER DEN.

HELLMUTH, PokerHelper.com reported exclusively, earns $50,000 for a PERSONAL APPEARANCE.

HOWARD “THE PROFESSOR” LEDERER, a TOP POKER PRO who is ANNIE DUKE’S BROTHER, was invited to lecture at HARVARD.

DOYLE’S ROOM, an ONLINE POKER ROOM fronted by DOYLE “TEXAS DOLLY” BRUNSON that earlier in the year banned U.S. CUSTOMERS from playing for REAL MONEY, reversed course and announced AMERICANS would once again be accepted.

ABSOLUTE POKER, an ONLINE POKER ROOM, was embroiled in a CHEATING SCANDAL when it was revealed a former employee tampered with SOFTWARE so he could read his opponents’ HOLE CARDS and wager accordingly. He was accused of winning millions of dollars illegally.

POKER was legalized in WEST VIRGINIA.

The POKER ROOM at a MAJOR LAS VEGAS CASINO closed.

The CEO of UNIBET, an ONLINE GAMBLING company, was ARRESTED in the NETHERLANDS.

Police in CANADA busted 21 people for running a couple of ILLEGAL POKER GAMES in ONTARIO.

A new ONLINE POKER ROOM called WASS POKER debuted.

In NOVEMBER, a MATH PROFESSOR from NEW JERSEY who was playing POKER in an UNDERGROUND POKER CLUB in MANHATTAN was SHOT AND KILLED when the club was held up by ARMED BANDITS.

A man in TENNESSEE who won a WSOP event in 2005 was busted when police raided an ILLEGAL POKER GAME in KINGSPORT.

BODOG, an ONLINE GAMLING SITE, announced it had dealt its one billionth hand of ONLINE POKER.

A televison station in ARIZONA reported that some POKER CHIPS contain LETHAL AMOUNTS of LEAD.

Nine people were arrested on LONG ISLAND in NEW YORK for running ILLEGAL POKER GAMES.

Police in CANADA busted an ILLEGAL POKER OPERATION in ONTARIO and arrested 61 people.

It was announced that actor NICHOLAS CAGE would play THOMAS “AMARILLO SLIM” PRESTON JR. in a movie.

Authorities arrested 18 people for running an ILLEGAL SPORTS BETTING RING from the POKER ROOM of an ATLANTIC CITY CASINO.

BET ZIP, a legal ONLINE POKER ROOM based in the USA, changed its named to PURE PLAY.

Police busted an ILLEGAL POKER DEN in ARKANSAS and arrested five people.

In DECEMBER, police raided an ILLEGAL POKER CLUB in COLORADO and arrested three people.

A new ONLINE POKER ROOM called POKER TRILLION opened.

ABSOLUTE POKER, the ONLINE POKER ROOM still mired in a CHEATING SCANDAL, announced it had dealt its one billionth hand of ONLINE POKER.

DAVID “CHIP” REESE, a POKER PRO who earned $3 million in his career, died.

Police busted an ILLEGAL POKER OPERATION in NEW JERSEY and arrested four people.

Authorities in the CHICAGO area raided 11 local businesses and confiscated 32 ILLEGAL VIDEO POKER MACHINES.

DANIEL NEGREANU, a TOP POKER PRO from CANADA, dumped his wife and announced the dumping on HIS INTERNET BLOG.

An artist from MISSOURI painted two paintings–one with DEMOCRATS and one with REPUBLICANS–showing past U.S. PRESIDENTS playing POKER.

The MANAGING EDITOR of BLUFF, a POKER MAGAZINE, was FIRED after he was CAUGHT CHEATING in an ONLINE POKER ROOM.

An INTERNET SEARCH ENGINE announced POKER was the most searched for word or phrase of the year.

To celebrate NEW LICENSE PLATES in UTAH, a company there awarded prizes based on poker hands formed from the digits on drivers’ plates.

Four former lawmen in NORTH CAROLINA were INDICTED for ACCEPTING BRIBES to allow ILLEGAL VIDEO POKER operations.

The owner of a NEW HAMPSHIRE bar was fined $28,000 for having VIDEO POKER machines.

The owner of an ONLINE GAMBLING SITE was MURDERED in VANCOUVER, CANADA.

Police in SOUTH CAROLINA raided a VIDEO POKER operation and seized $400,000.

A new ONLINE POKER ROOM called GEAR POKER opened.

(E-mail Tom Somach at tomsomach@yahoo.com.)