Hi Lukas, 1 (past simple) and 3 (present perfect) are both plausible to me. "I fell for this joke before as well." You fell for the joke and now the act of falling for the joke is finished. (Yes, you understand the joke now, so there is an effect in the present, but the verb is 'to fall', which is completely in the past). 'I have fallen for this joke before as well' The present perfect is also fine here. The present perfect has three different uses: (1) for actions that started in the past and continue; (2) for actions in a time frame that started in the past and continues; (3) for recent events with tangible consequences in the present. For me, your sentence sounds like (2): the act of falling for the joke is finished but the time frame (your life) continues. "I have been falling for this joke before as well" This doesn't work. We use the present perfect progressive for things that can continue or be repeated over time (I have been waiting for a minute; I have been playing the piano for years). The act of falling for a joke is instant and doesn't really last over time. I think that's why it sounds strange to me. I hope that helps. If you have any questions, feel free to ask. Phil