when only a few (relatively) games are played, the real top players havent been able to gain a real advantage in their rating yet as the opponents they did beat are just in the mid section of the ratings ... sub top players will have won about the same number of games, maybe a bit less, against opponents out of the mid section of the ratings .. as everyone is at that section when the game comes online first
when a game has been around longer then some people are around 2000 ... and the top players have been able to beat those 2000 players quite a few times raising their own rating ..
the difference between pahtum and loop chess probably comes from the fact that pahtum gives a bigger chance to win with white than with black .. while this isnt true (or at least much less) with loop chess .. therefore pahtum will have quite some draws (especially with the 2 games stairs) or an equal number of wins and losses between the same players .. in loop chess a real good player can win much more often than a real good player would be able to win with pahtum .. this will lead to a higher rating for the top player in loop chess