I pull the choke all the way out, pull the throttle out just a bit. I don't touch the gas pedal. I don't want the accelerator pump to dump cold non-atomized fuel onto the cold intake runner to get sucked into the cylinder where it will not burned and simply pours down past the rings and into the oil pan, contaminating the oil with raw gasoline.
Once the engine starts, I push the choke knob in gradually until it begins to stumble slightly and leave it there. I then pull the throttle knob out a bit to counteract the slight stumble caused by the choke being opened up. A short time after that, I can push the choke knob all the way in without affecting the smooth idle. Now I can go down the road and can then push the throttle knob all the way back in.
I do almost exactly this. The hand throttle is so convenient.
