Spread betting is a serious weapon in every punter's armoury, but the volatility of this particular betting medium can scare off many a fixed-odds punter. However, there is an easy way in, thanks to Sporting Index's little sister, BetHiLo.

On first glance, BetHiLo looks virtually identical to the Sporting Index site, and that's because it works in virtually exactly the same way. The market coverage is the same, the theory behind how to place your bets is the same, and the way the site pays out is the same. The main difference is the stake levels are that much lower.

You can bet as little as 1p per point on many markets, meaning BetHiLo is the perfect site to hone your spread betting skills before venturing out and making larger bets.

The bet placement process is slightly different, too. With Sporting Index you simply say whether you want to 'Buy' or 'Sell' a given spread, but with BetHiLo, they use more straightforward terminology, using 'Higher' or 'Lower', with an easy-to-understand stake selection screen. When you enter your stake per point, the site tells you how much your maximum win and (probably more importantly for spread betting beginners) your maximum loss would be if you bet at that stake. It means you can adjust your stake until you find a liability you are happy with before you bet (just as you do with fixed-odds betting, where you know what you're risking when you place your bet).

Two important things to know are that you cannot have both a BetHiLo account and a Sporting Index account. In effect, a BetHiLo account is simply a version of a Sporting Index account with safety limits imposed. You can't potentially win as much on BetHiLo as stakes and winnings are capped, but your losses are also capped too, so it's the ideal introduction to online spread betting. It's the spread betting equivalent of riding a bike with stabilisers. If you get to the point where you are completely comfortable with spread betting and don't want to be restricted to capped winnings, just call customer services and they'll take the stabilisers off and upgrade you to a full Sporting Index account.

Also, when registering for an account, you will be subject to a credit check to fulfil the site's obligations to the FSA, so if you've had problems getting credit in the past, you may find you are unable to open an account. Should you experience any problems, either with registration, with your understanding of spread betting, or with the site itself, their excellent customer service team should be able to help you.

PROS: The perfect starting place for anyone wanting to make their first steps into spread betting without risking the shirt on their back in the process.

CONS: Stakes and winnings are capped, but if that becomes an issue, then give them a call and they'll upgrade you to a full Sporting Index account.