Newbie needs advice - Engine start-up

[Cdnchallenger]

When cold my engine will crank and crank and crank before it finally fires up. After running for a minute or two it will fire right back up easily. When I drive it to a show and it sits for an hour or so it sometimes takes forever to start again.

Is there a quick list of things a "Newbie" should be checking.

Please start with the obvious.

Thanks

[Bullitt-]

Sounds like a carburetor that has no fuel or the choke is not working properly. What engine/carburetor do you have?   

[Chryco Psycho]

if the heat crossover in the intake is not blocked you may be boiling all the fuel off so when you go to restart it there si no fuel in the carb & it has to refill it before it will run