Played some live 1/2 today lost about 280$

First big loss was with KsQs from mid position. Hero raises a loose table to 8$ 3 callers including a very loose player, button, and BB.
Pot is about 32$, Hero has 110$ behind.

Flop: JsTs6d

Hero checks, VL bets 6$ (always bets small post-flop), Button calls, Hero bumps the bet to 22$, VL moves all in for 62$ total, Button folds.

Pot is currently 62+22+6+32 = 122$ Hero gets 3:1 with a royal flush draw and two overs, figures VL to have: JT J6 AT 66 or 8s9s.

Hero calls and VL shows 6s6c

Turn T River 2

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Should I have smooth called a 6$ bet and hope that Button is on a poor draw. At this point I was not worried about VL because he was half of my stack but was concerned with Button who could bust us. Was it correct to find out where Button was or is it better to draw on the cheap? Unfortunately he did have the hand that was a favorite against me.

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A few hands later hero has 45 in the BB and the flop comes K45 hero bets and is called by a tight player the turn brings a flush draw I bet hard and he calls the river brings the Kc. He bets all in and hero folds leaving only 37$ behind.

Hero is dealt AQ as Button, UTG straddles 4$, VL is UTG+1 and bets 10$, 8th seat calls, Hero pushes all in for 35$ into a pot of 27$ putting VL on 44 - 99.

VL calls with 77,

The man in the 8th seat liked to see flops, on a call it is difficult to put him on anything but with big pairs he had raised all in against opponents and shown twice, so hero narrows his field to hands like TT, JJ, KQ, AJ.

Is this short stack play correct? I believed I was in a +EV situation. It is obviously possible that VL holds a monster but once again I am getting near 3:1 on my money.