As a general rule, a player who bets as the banker has a slight edge over the rest of the players because in the event that both hands are copy hands, the banker wins.
Another option available to the player who acts as banker is to request that the casino cover 50 percent of the wagers made during a round of play (so called co-banking). When a player acting as banker requests co-banking, then the banker cards must be set according to established house rules from the two hands.

A casino may, at its discretion, allow a player to wager on two adjacent betting areas. If a player wagers different amounts on two adjacent hands, the player must rank and set the hand with the larger wager before he or she is allowed to rank and set the other hand.

Another unique rule is that a player may surrender his wager after the hands of the dealer have been set. The player must announce his intention to surrender prior to the dealer exposing either of the two hands of the player. When a player surrenders, he will automatically lose the wager. Note: When a player surrenders, the entire bet is lost, not 50 percent of the bet.

Then why surrender at all? Because traditionally in pai gow, it is considered preferable to surrender rather than endure the humiliation of the dealer exposing a player's poor hand.