M Ratio (or simply M) is a poker metric that tells you how many rounds you can survive without playing a hand, based on your stack size and the cost of blinds and antes. It’s a tournament tool used to measure how desperate (or comfortable) your chip situation is.
The formula is:
M = Stack / (Small Blind + Big Blind + Total Antes)
The higher your M, the more flexibility you have. A low M means you need to make a move soon or risk being blinded out. This concept was popularized by Dan Harrington in his tournament books, where he created “M zones” (green, yellow, red) to guide decision-making.
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