Good examples Roger.
Take it slightly further and the difference between the two is stagering and disheartening for spreaders.
Some time ago, just about when everybody was screaming the joys of sb, mainly the tax free bit, and jumping on the band waggon of; this is the new way to trade etc etc, (admitedly it does have it's uses, but the herd were not seeing past the end of their noses,)(as usual). I traded both at the same time for the same risk. ie £10 per point.
This was a long trade, and the futures gave a fairly comfortable £400+ profit, while the sb trade returned only a £200+ profit, both opened and closed within seconds of each other.
The sb trade was the hardest of the 2 in terms of running the trade and offered more heart stopping moments and bottom winking as you so quaintly put it. (Truth is I was able to sit 2 inches higher in the chair).
At that level, you have to work out if the risk is really worth the reward, and in most cases the answer is no. The only benifit you get from sb is the supposedly tax free bit; And you have to ask yourself this very simple question:
'How much tax am I going to pay on a £400 winning trade?'
If your answer is anywhere near £200. You may happily carry on spread betting as the sb companies really do value your custom.
Even when you win with these people you end up paying for their holidays and put the clothes on their backs.
I still use the sb's, but only trade small, simply to keep my hand in and get some joy in a cruel world by consistantly beating them.
It reminds me of an old snooker player, (either Joe Davis or Ray Readon) who used to practise as a young lad in the local snooker hall and only ever played on a certain table because the pockets were slightly smaller than the others in the club.
On being asked why he only used that particular table, he used to say that when he played in tournaments, the pockets on those tables were twice the size and it was like rolling a marble into a cave. (The difference between real trading and sb trading)
Good fortune.
Options.