Which polcrylic finish would show brush strokes less?

I refreshed a deep turquoise paint on a tubular metal bed with a cream color and now the brush strokes are very visible. I used floetrol in the latex paint to help level the new paint. (The bed was painted about 50 years ago when I was in my teens and there were paint streaks and blobs which I sanded down somewhat--afraid the paint might have metal.) Now I'm ready to put a coat or two of polycrylic. But do not know which finish to use--matte or glossy. I heard on an HGTV show that a matte paint finish on walls helps hide little wall imperfections. So, I tried matte on a section of the bed and while wet the polycrylic is shinny and seems to hide some of the brush strokes but when it dried, they were very, very visible. Are there any rules about what finish to use when? I'm also wondering if the dark paint hid the bad paint job and now the lighter color is highlighting it? Many thanks for your help!