The big M

Here's a noob question for you. I understand all the lingo on this site except for one thing. When someone says something along the lines of, with M=8 this is a push/fold situation.

What is M=8 referring to?

M is the ratio of a player's stack against the size of the blinds and antes combined. If the blinds/antes add up to 700 and your stack is 3500 then your M is 5.

Also related is Q, which is the ratio of a player's stack to the average stack. In general, you should regard M over Q, in other words, if your M is high but your Q low (for example if someone has knocked out 6 people in the first level) then you might have a low Q but a high M, and thus no reason to sweat.

Ah cool, that's basically what I thought but a few examples weren't adding up right for me.

I wasn't counting the antes.

M is an overrated and complicated stat imo.
Check your bbs thats most important
M tends to make players move more early and forcibly than they might actually need too imo.

What I think really is important is your stack size vs the other players' stack sizes. Having a low M does not automatically mean that you push in every situation just because your M is low. It does mean that you need to be aware that you are not in good shape and should be looking for the right spot.