diff --git a/compress.py b/compress.py
index de77932..2663d76 100755
--- a/compress.py
+++ b/compress.py
@@ -5,10 +5,11 @@ import more_itertools
 
 from enum import Enum
 from termcolor import colored
-from typing import List, Optional
+from typing import List, Optional, Union
 
 from variants import variant_id, variant_name
 from hanabi import DeckCard, ActionType, Action, GameState, HanabiInstance
+from hanab_live import HanabLiveGameState, HanabLiveInstance
 
 
 # use same BASE62 as on hanab.live to encode decks
@@ -164,14 +165,18 @@ def decompress_deck(deck_str: str) -> List[DeckCard]:
 # which can be used in json replay links
 # The GameState object has to be standard / fitting hanab.live variants,
 # otherwise compression is not possible
-def compress_game_state(state: GameState) -> str:
-#    if not state.instance.is_standard():
-#        raise ValueError("Cannot compress non-standard hanabi instance")
+def compress_game_state(state: Union[GameState, HanabLiveGameState]) -> str:
+    var_id = -1
+    if isinstance(state, GameState):
+        var_id = HanabLiveInstance.select_standard_variant_id(state.instance)
+    else:
+        assert isinstance(state, HanabLiveGameState)
+        var_id = state.instance.variant_id
     out = "{}{},{},{}".format(
             state.instance.num_players,
             compress_deck(state.instance.deck),
             compress_actions(state.actions),
-            state.instance.variant_id             # Note that a sane default is chosen if construction did not provide one
+            var_id
             )
     with_dashes = ''.join(more_itertools.intersperse("-", out, 20))
     return with_dashes
diff --git a/hanab_live.py b/hanab_live.py
index f73e2e7..3bd0cab 100644
--- a/hanab_live.py
+++ b/hanab_live.py
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-from typing import List
+from typing import List, Optional
 
 import hanabi
 import constants
@@ -26,6 +26,19 @@ class HanabLiveInstance(hanabi.HanabiInstance):
         self.variant_id = variant_id
         self.variant = Variant.from_db(self.variant_id)
 
+    @staticmethod
+    def select_standard_variant_id(instance: hanabi.HanabiInstance):
+        err_msg = "Hanabi instance not supported by hanab.live, cannot convert to HanabLiveInstance: "
+        assert 3 <= instance.num_suits <= 6, \
+            err_msg + "Illegal number of suits ({}) found, must be in range [3,6]".format(instance.num_suits)
+        assert 0 <= instance.num_dark_suits <= 2, \
+            err_msg + "Illegal number of dark suits ({}) found, must be in range [0,2]".format(instance.num_dark_suits)
+        assert 4 <= instance.num_suits - instance.num_dark_suits, \
+            err_msg + "Illegal ratio of dark suits to suits, can have at most {} dark suits with {} total suits".format(
+                max(instance.num_suits - 4, 0), instance.num_suits
+            )
+        return constants.VARIANT_IDS_STANDARD_DISTRIBUTIONS[instance.num_suits][instance.num_dark_suits]
+
 
 class HanabLiveGameState(hanabi.GameState):
     def __init__(self, instance: HanabLiveInstance):