Is there a trick to determine best runway quickly without doing the math?
Aside from "Asking the other pilots in the pattern / UNICOM", none I'm aware of.
The closest thing to a "trick" I can offer you if you're going in to a completely unattended field are the following suggestions:
If your DGdirectional gyro (DG) has a heading bug, set the heading bug to the wind direction.
Now find the runway alignment closest to the bug. That's the runway you want.
(If your DG doesn't have a heading bug you may still be able to do this visually easier than doing math - of course this relies on you flying in a plane with a DG or a vertical card compass...).Break out your E6BE6B, dial in the wind direction, and find the closest runway heading.
Same logic as (1), but for when you're stuck in a Piper Cub with only the wet compass.
One drawback - it only works with mechanical flight computers...If you have your sectional out, lay your pen or ruler on it to show the wind direction.
See which runway alignment is closest to the ruler. That's the runway you want.Count on your fingers.
(Seriously, this is what I do most of the time. I'm an engineer, I can't add and subtract!)