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eliminating people makes me more likely to win unimproved

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I don't think this is necessarily true. Your pair is likely behind, and you won't likely be pushing out hands that beat yours (at least on the flop), so I think you want as many players in the pot as possible so you hit when you pair. Your 2pr/trip outs are probably all live, and your flush will be good most of the time, so you really want those other players in.