Cherish Andrews took down the U.S. Poker Open Event #4: $10,000 No-Limit Hold’em for $204,000 yesterday, ending what she’d been calling a “big sad downswing” in the most dramatic way possible. The victory came just one day after the pro jokingly announced her retirement from poker on social media.
Andrews outlasted a field of 85 entries at the PokerGO Studio in Las Vegas to claim her first major title of 2026. She defeated heads-up opponent Jake Schindler after a marathon final table that stretched past midnight Pacific time.
From Retirement to Redemption
“I wasn’t even planning to play,” Andrews told PokerGO reporters after her win. She’d apparently been on such a rough stretch that she’d sworn off tournaments entirely.
But something changed her mind at the last minute. Maybe it was FOMO, maybe it was boredom, or maybe she just couldn’t stay away from the felt. Whatever it was, that impulse to fire one more bullet paid off in spades.
The $10,000 buy-in event drew a who’s who of high stakes regulars. Jeremy Ausmus was there fresh off his Event #1 victory. So were crushers like Seth Davies, Alex Foxen, and defending U.S. Poker Open champion Jonathan Tamayo. Andrews had to navigate through all of them.
I’ve watched Cherish grind for years now, and this win felt different. She’s always been talented – that’s never been in question. But the way she played this final table, especially after being card dead for the first two hours, showed a patience I haven’t seen from her before. Sometimes a downswing teaches you things a heater never could.
The Final Table Marathon
Six players made the money, with min-cashes worth $25,500. But nobody was there for min-cashes.
Andrews came into the final table fourth in chips. Not ideal, but not desperate either. Jake Schindler held the chip lead, with Davies and Foxen also ahead of her.
The first elimination came quickly when short stack Dylan Weisman ran pocket sevens into Schindler’s aces. Then things slowed to a crawl.
For nearly three hours, nobody wanted to make a mistake. Foxen kept three-betting. Davies kept folding. Andrews kept waiting.
Finally, Andrews found her spot. She three-bet Davies with ace-king, he shoved with ace-jack, and she held. Suddenly she had chips to work with.
Heads-Up for the Title
Davies busted in third when his bluff into Schindler went horribly wrong (that’s the danger of playing too many pots against the chip leader).
So it came down to Andrews versus Schindler, with relatively even stacks.
Heads-up lasted 73 hands. That’s not a typo – seventy-three hands of back-and-forth action. Schindler had the experience edge, having won multiple high rollers over the past year. But Andrews had momentum. And apparently, she had run good saved up from all those months of bricks.
The final hand saw Andrews flop two pair with jack-ten on a J-T-4 board. Schindler had top pair with ace-jack and couldn’t get away from it. Just like that, the “retirement” was over before it began.
Breaking the Cycle
Andrews’ victory highlights something we don’t talk about enough in poker media: how brutal the swings can be, even for successful pros.
Her last recorded cash before this week was in early February. That’s two months without a score for someone who plays regularly. Two months of buy-ins, travel expenses, and self-doubt. (Trust me, I’ve been there during my own playing days.)
The $204,000 payday more than makes up for the drought. It’s her biggest score since late 2025 and moves her lifetime tournament earnings past $1.8 million.
“I guess I’m un-retiring,” Andrews said during her winner’s interview, drawing laughs from the rail.
The U.S. Poker Open continues through April 24, with buy-ins ranging from $10,000 to $50,000. Event #5, another $10,000 No-Limit Hold’em tournament, kicks off today at noon.
Andrews hasn’t confirmed whether she’ll play it. But after seeing how her “retirement” went, I’d bet on seeing her in the field.
Poker’s funny like that. One day you’re ready to quit forever. The next day you’re posing with a trophy and a pile of cash, wondering why you ever doubted yourself. The key is showing up even when you don’t feel like it.
Especially when you don’t feel like it.
