Unless I was booking many half hour sessions only or I had to have variety 3 references that are recent is a stretch for me since I book multihours primarily. (So three recent references for me can equate to easily 3,000 dollars) I don't seek variety and I'm not a serial hobbyist either. I seek ATFs so I can build rapport with a regulars and granfather rates. Less exposure to setups. The only time in which I kept more than three references were situations where I saw different ladies back to back and recommended them in reviews maybe and asked for their p411 ok, but would not see them again myself. Since these ladies figure out very quickly if you will in fact see them again after so many given provider verifications, (usually three requests reference verification requests) it pays to have at least two at all times.
If a lady I really wanted to see required three, I would do everything I could to accommodate her requests. Even gritting my teeth and booking a half hour session or two just to milk a new reference. But I haven't seen many ladies I would do that for. And many times while collecting refs to see that provider who needed three........I was suddenly swayed to a better deal to see one of the ladies I was initially using as a stepping stone to see the first......