Iam interested in what a pro really thinks about this, but here is my rec with hopes of becoming a reg player thinks. The below is regarding online play.
IF Pro plays a microstakes game they are likely making major adjustments to their game to allow for the poor play and continued Donk like play that you get in microstakes. The only constant is that a pro does not play their cards, but the players at the table (that is my perception anyway).
A pro I would think is
usually
playing well above the microstake level, and consequently the player pool is different and likely to make major adjustments to how they play because now they are playing with a player pool that is more knowledgeable about the game on average. And I imagine this is true to varying degrees as you move up the buyin amounts say a $100 vs a $1500 and in between.
For myself a freeroller to a microstakes player. I will take more chances in a number of spots, so I can practice various strategies and if I blow my stack, I lose nothing financially in a freeroll. However, this has also helped me increase my overall play, since I do this less and less at the microstakes.
At least my bankroll has increased. I realize its likely I am not as good as I think and variance has not yet caught up with me and might just be running good, if so hopefully it will last
.
The thing for me that makes me treat games differently now is bankroll management. If I am playing outside the confines of a 60+ buyin BR for a tourney I have no business in that game. So naturally as many of us I tend to tighten up and wait for spots more so than I do if I am playing a $3 tourney and have another 60+ buyins Consequently, I rarely put myself in those situations as I find most of the pro's I follow, stress BR is extremely important.
Anyway, I think the more important question is are you a rec player or a reg with aspirations of learning the game. If so lower stake games and
freerolls can give you a lot of experience in identifying player types and working out strategies without impacting your BR. On the other hand each level up will come with its own set of challenges requiring you to become more and more adaptable to the players you face.
At least that is my opinion - look forward to reading other responses