I'm in a game without an elimination bonus or return to placement... If I eliminate an opponent and end up with 5 cards, am I forced to trade at that point, or is it like Warfish where you have to end up with 6 or more to be forced to trade?   Thanks.

Once you hit the Card Limit you are forced to trade.  The default (and minimum) Card Limit is 5, but some boards do allow 6+ cards to be held at once, in which if you didn't hit the limit then you wouldn't be required to trade.

Ok, so, unlike Warfish, if I get to five cards after eliminating an opponent, I'll be able to trade immediately (this game doesn't have a higher trade limit).  

Thanks, that's good news.