cheating and possibly rule-breaking, yes. criminal, probably not.
It's interesting how pool fans, like us here on az, in very large part, think it's clever for someone to change their look to get an edge in matching up, yes hustling. Admit it, when we read about such stories, it amuses us. books about or from Kid Delicious, Jay, The Beard, Bobby Cotton, The Hustler, COM, we eat it up. The vast majority of us do, anyway. And, this type of activity is a big part of our sports history.
Personally, I don't believe anyone should cheat their way into any event, whether it's to do with them being the wrong gender or lying about their age in a kids or senior event , etcetera, etcetera, however, and interestingly, I have no issue whatsoever with someone trying to match up in pool halls using whatever ruse they care to throw at me.
I think those of us who like to play for money, it's squarely on us to make sure we're getting into a fair game. There is an art to matching up and making good games and you have to know who you're about to do battle with, to the extent that you can. anyone playing for cash has to be keenly aware that hustling exists, right?
Those who are so offended over Rhea either dressing up as, or actually trying to become, a woman, maybe you should do a little self-evaluation regarding your possible sexual hangups and prejudices.
I mean, how is this really different than the guy we laughed about who sits around the bar wearing some well used painters coveralls trying to project that image in order to get an edge in getting a game?
And this even assumes that Rhea is trying to do a hustle or that she is a man, which I don't have the answers to either of these..
best,
brian kc