Some games are different

It may be fair to say that EVERY game is different. But, being humans, we like to classify and label things that we deem alike.

So we call some games loose aggressive, we call others nitty or tight; some tables we classify as talkative and fun, others as serious and tough.

The generalized difference between low limit poker tables at Full Tilt and those on EOH is pretty broad. Full Tilt has much tighter play. EOH play is not only loose but swings between passive preflop to overly aggressive post flop.

I started last night at the lowest limit table on EOH. 9 handed with blinds of 1&1. Per the usual most flops saw 6-8 people limping in with no raises. Sometimes the small or big blind would raise one or two chips after half the table limped and everyone would call.

This is SUCH passive weak play..and clearly very loose.

Moving up to the mid limit tables on EOH w/ blinds of 2/4 I saw fewer players per hand (say 4-6 on avg.) and some increased raising frequency. Post flop play would see bets of slightly less than half pot to slightly more than the pot. This would often narrow the field to 2 or 3.

This is closer to the kind of poker you read about being 'optimal' or correct. I am becoming more and more aware that the only 'correct' style of play is that which garnishes the most chips. But there are reasons why raising is better than limping (usually).

All of these variabilities between tables serves to remind me that when you sit down to a game you have to bring more than just YOUR skill and experience. You have to come to the table ready to understand and absorb that game's dynamic and nuances. Then you have to play the style that this particular table defines as 'optimal'.

I continue to try to broaden my skill sets to be ready for each new table.

This reminds me of our current war dec. My merc corp has been getting hammered in the opening rounds of our most recent contract. Why? I don't think we have adjusted quickly enough to the new table. The last contract we were on, we could sit in a battlecruiser or two at the war targets' undock and they would occasionally come out and try to fight or play station games. We did very well because they weren't very skilled at pvp or station gaming.

Those same tactics on this deployment have resulted in multiple losses for us and very few for the WTs. This is a different game demanding different tactics.

Poker, Life, Internet spaceships.....it's all the same and every table is different.