I voted SoCal - IF you can afford the cost of living, that is (my bro just moved to Vegas from there, he's paying $880 a month for 1100 Sq ft in LV, compared to $1700 a month for equivalent space near Irvine).

As others have pointed out, there are many more ways to enjoy non-poker life in SoCal. I believe this would make it much easier to get away from the games to de-stress and recharge when needed. And as rohjoh points out, it's a quick and cheap trip from SoCal to LV. If your brother does end up at UNLV, it seems that you could have the option to hang with him for a few weeks or more at a time to experience the Vegas games, then get away from Vegas "life" by going back to SoCal when you need to.

You may want to ditch the Grand Cherokee, though.

Good luck with your decision.