I tried spray poly but I had a choice between runs and orange peel!
The best way to get an even sheen that doesn't require rubbing with poly or spar is to spray it. Difficult to get a quality finish out of a rattle can, but there are a few tricks. First, spry only on a warm or hot day, or in a well heated interior space. Second, and most important, is to soak the spray can in a tub of HOT water (I try to use 185-200+F) for quite a while before you spray. The heat reduces the viscosity of the finish, improves atomization by increasing the internal pressure of the can, and causes the solvents to flash off just a little more quickly when it hits the surface. You would be better off mixing your own finish and applying with a small compressor and a detail gun. The detail gun gives you much more control over pattern and fluid, and mixing your own allows you to tweak the solvent mix to suit material and spray conditions.
Standard practice in furniture finishing is to use clear gloss material (whether varnish, spar or poly) for all of the coats except the final coat of satin. That gives you the satin finish you want, without muddying the wood's figure any more than necessary.