The win follows a dry spell and a last-minute decision to participate in the event
Cherish Andrews secured a significant victory at the 2026 US Poker Open (USPO), capturing the title in Event #3: $5,000 No-Limit Hold’em for a top prize of $117,407. The win marks Andrews’ second career PokerGO Tour (PGT) title and serves as a major turnaround following a period of professional frustration.
Before entering the tournament, Andrews had reportedly expressed doubts about participating. Coming off a challenging “downswing,” she admitted to friends that she had considered retiring rather than competing in the final $5,000 buy-in event of the series. However, her decision to take her seat resulted in a dominant performance against a high-caliber field.
The third event of the 2026 USPO was the most attended of the $5,000 buy-in tier, attracting 115 entries and generating a total prize pool of $575,000. The competition culminated in a final table featuring several prominent names in the professional circuit.
Among them were Day 1 chip leader Sam Laskowitz and poker vlogger Ethan “Rampage” Yau. Michael Berk also reached the final six but exited in sixth place for $28,750 after experiencing a series of highly unfavorable hands.
The tournament concluded with a heads-up battle between Andrews and fellow professional Adam Hendrix. Andrews eventually bested Hendrix to claim the trophy and the largest portion of the prize pool.
Andrews, a two-time Global Poker Index (GPI) Female Player of the Year, has long been established as one of the game’s top competitors. With the USPO series continuing in Las Vegas, Andrews moves from a self-described “retirement” back into the winner’s circle.
