first live (cardroom) game -- 3 hands

[rchandra]

I was recently playing in a live game at a casino for the first time. First session -$30 (playing a bit scared I think, and 1-2 awful calls, plus a few definite suckouts... I hit so many losing sets), second +$2 (similar), third +$100 (I played better, but definitely lucky .. I never got sucked out on, which is better than expected.). I have a couple hands I was wondering about my play on. The game is fairly loose preflop (5-8 to the flop), but people generally have something if there's turn action. It's $3-$6 CAD limit with a full kill (the only game in the room). The limit is a bit higher than I like (especially with the kill), but I have some money I'm willing to experiment with.

Hand 1: I have AsKs in MP. EP raise, I re-raise, CO 3-bets, SB calls, BB caps, all call. (5 players, 20 SB)
Flop: Qd 3h 7c
SB bets, BB raise, EP 3-bets... I have to fold here right? The pot's huge but my draw is so sketchy. At most one of my overcards is good, and quite likely neither (or I'd need both). I folded, and the backdoor straight came home. 2 at the river, the winner showed QJ.

Hand 2(another day. The game is similar, a bit more friendly and relaxed.) The kill is on (BB is the killer). UTG loves the kill, and has introduced the idea of keeping track of your points (you get a point for getting the kill button, or keeping it). UTG straddles. fold, fold, raise.
I have 9h8h. The straddle confused me .. I know how it works but I've never thought about what it means. I just loked at $18, 3 bets, and folded. But afterwards, I was thinking that straddler isn't really raising the bet, just the stakes. So there's really just an MP raise, which I'd normally call at this table. Should I call? I'm definitely being influenced by the 3-heart flop. Looking at SSHE, I see it doesn't like 98s against a raise from MP. My bigger question here is how to treat the straddle and raise. I think the straddle is like the BB (especially here since the BB is still $3 and is now facing $9 + raise) and raise is like a single raise.

Hand 3 (I think this was day 1. Not day 3.):
I have 9h9d in MP. I raise and get it 3-handed against the blinds.
Flop Qd 9s 3d. Check, bet, I raise, both call.
Turn 7h. Check, check, I bet, both call. I think "somebody has a flush-draw, other guy has straight-draw or pair". No conscious reason for this, and I'm not a good reader.
River 4d. Bet, raise, I fold. I would probably have called 1 bet here. I think something is wrong there though .. either I should call the 2, raise, or not even call one.
Raiser had the Jx flush.
Other question: should I just call the flop and hopefully get to raise the turn?

Thanks for your opinions,

Rahul