A “high-ranking pair” in poker refers to a pair of cards of the same rank, which are the highest-ranking cards in a given hand. The most high-ranking pair will depend on specific circumstances and cards on the table, but in a general sense, a “high-ranking pair” means that you’re holding a pair of very high-ranking cards for a given hand.

Let’s have a look at some examples of high-ranking pairs:

A high-ranking pair of kings: If you're holding a king of hearts (K♥) and a king of spades (K♠), and there are different cards on the table, this is a high-ranking pair of kings. This is a strong hand, especially if there are no other high-ranking cards or combinations on the table.

A high-ranking pair of aces: If you're holding an ace of hearts (A♥) and an ace of spades (A♠), you have a high-ranking pair of aces. Aces are usually considered to be the highest-ranking cards in a standard deck, so a pair of aces is a strong hand.

A high-ranking pair of queens: If you're holding a queen of clubs (Q♣) and a queen of diamonds (Q♦), you have a high-ranking pair of queens. Queens are strong cards and create a hard-hitting pair.

High-ranking pairs can be strong hands, but their value can depend on other cards on the table and the actions of the other players. This is important to take into account when making decisions during the poker game and when analyzing the strength of your hand.