[Grammar] The Present Unreal Conditional in a ‘no matter how’-clause instead of an if-clause

[Tell me your decision for]

“No matter how much power I stood to gain, I would not betray my convictions.”

Is it acceptable to use the Present Unreal Conditional in a ‘no matter how’-clause instead of an if-clause? I suppose this conditional statement could be paraphrased using an if-clause:

“Even if I stood to gain a great deal of power, I would not betray my convictions.”

“Even if I were to gain a great deal of power, I would not betray my convictions.”

 

[MikeNewYork]

All the sentences work for me.

 

[Charlie Bernstein]

They're all good sentences. The meanings are (very) slightly different.

“No matter how much power I stood to gain, I would not betray my convictions.” "No matter how much" is more emphatic than your "even if" construction. But it has the same literal meaning.

Is it acceptable to use the Present Unreal Conditional in a ‘no matter how’-clause instead of an if-clause? I suppose this conditional statement could be paraphrased using an if-clause:

“Even if I stood to gain a great deal of power, I would not betray my convictions.” The "stood" means that gaining power is a hypothetical possibility.

“Even if I were to gain a great deal of power, I would not betray my convictions.” The "were" means that gaining power is a hypothetical certainty.