Do I need a choke?

The biggest issue I've seen is when people disconnect their chokes and fuss about how hard the thing is to start. The issue comes down to the carb running really lean at normal running temp. If it's lean at temp, then how could it work properly if it is cold outside? Once again, comes down to properly tuning the carb.
Correct. That in itself is one reason I prefer them "a little" fat. They always seem to run better.