Answer by Dave Hughe:
If you trade and not gamble, the advantages of using a mini or even a micro forex account are numerous:
1. Trading with real money, which makes you emotionally involved as opposed to a demo account, where there are no real emotions. Thus, you learn to control emotions.
2. Trading in real-life conditions where you have to deal with slippage, wider than normal spreads, delays, and other obstacles.
3. Learning or testing new ideas without risking too much money.
4. Learning to use strict money management rules otherwise you get wiped out fast.
5. Trading profitably with real money for a reasonably long period of time is an objective proof that you can become a trader.