WESTERN UNION POKER ONLINE SITES

If you can't, or don't want to, deposit to a poker online site using your debit or credit card, there are other ways to get your cash into your account.

Western Union is one of the most popular 'peer-to-peer' real money transfer services available to US poker players. It allows you to deposit to a Western Union online poker room that accepts US players via one of any number of retail locations.

If you've never used Western Union before to make a deposit to a poker online website, we're here to guide you through the process and recommend the best rooms to use.

We found the best Western Union sites accepting US poker players:

• Easily send funds to a poker room to load up your account.
• Make safe and secure withdrawals with no hassle
• Get the lowest withdrawal fees charged to US players

Making an online deposit to your favorite US Western Union poker site is as simple as ABC. The first step is to email the poker website you want to make a cash deposit at and find out exactly what you need to complete the transfer. The kind of information you're looking for is the name of the person receiving the transfer, as well as the country of origin where the money is going to. A reference number will be issued to identify your funds as going to your player account.

OK, so you've got that info? What next? Head over to your local Western Union (yes, we know this means leaving the laptop behind for an hour or two) and ask to do a money transfer to your Western Union poker site based on the info they have given you. Pay by debit, credit or prepaid credit card, or better still, cash. That's one of the bonuses of depositing to a Western Union poker site accepting US players - you don't even have to dig out your card!

Watch out for the fees involved. For online poker players in America, the fees for Western Union money transfers are usually between 1.5 - 2.5 percent, meaning that if you are intending to deposit money this way it probably pays to make a substantial deposit in one go.

CAN I CASH OUT FROM A REAL MONEY POKER ONLINE GAME TOO?

That's it - you're done! But wait - can I go home straight away and start taking down pots on my favorite US Western Union poker site? Hold your horses - deposit transfers can take anywhere from one to five hours to process depending on which poker room you have an online account with. In some cases, you will have to enter a Money Transfer Control Number into your online poker account to verify the deposit, but this is pretty straightforward.

Winning US players can also use WU to make cash withdrawals from their favorite poker sites. As with making a deposit TO the site, the poker room will issue you with a MCTN (Money Transfer Control Number) so that you can pick up your dollars from your local Western Union office. Make sure the poker room gives you all the relevant ID information so you can collect your money quickly and safely.

POSITIVES AND NEGATIVES OF WESTERN UNION POKER

Playing on a Western Union poker site that accepts US players is safe and convenient, especially if you don't have a credit card. As ever, though, watch out for the pitfalls. Make a thorough check with your poker site to see if they allow large deposits via WU - some sites steer clear altogether. A simple email to the Customer Support team will usually answer your questions. If you're one of those players who will be making small deposits most of the time, a US Western Union poker online site could well be for you.

Make sure you follow our guide to the best Western Union poker rooms accepting US players and take the worry out of depositing and withdrawing online.