I read the original post as asking, "Do successful blackjack strategies in the real world *technically* require a team, or can they be applied by a soloist?".

The answer is that you don't need a team to conquer the casinos. You can properly raise and lower your bets, and play properly, and obtain an advantage over the casinos, alone. Parker was discussing the difficulties in the practical problems facing a solo counter - playing alone, the rollercoaster of luck can easily crush a skilled solo counter. Many advantages of team play smooth over this awful reality.

In order to counter this problem, a solo player can diversify and/or increase his advantage. Shuffle-tracking can increase your advantage, and thereby lessen the need to take on partners (increased advantage usually lessens the rollercoaster).

Diversification lessens your exposure to blackjack casino personnel, so your career longevity increases and you can selectively choose to play the more profitable games. Poker is an excellent diversification choice. There will always be poker, there will always be bad players, and they don't bar you for playing well. A straight job also is an excellent diversification choice, but they also sometimes bar you, so there is risk there as well, don't be fooled.

My advice might differ from Parker's, because I read the question differently. You seem to be at the "interested recreational" stage. You should not take on a team right now, or be concerned about diversification. It's overkill and complicating. Go to your bj venue - go to Vegas! Check it all out. Lose/win some money. Read the books. Ask questions. (Get berated by arrogant forum guardians). There will come a time when bj chooses you, and it's inevitable, or you'll slip off and one day find yourself daydreaming about golf. You won't have to ask your second question, which I know is, "Can you make a living at it?". Because you'll know the answer by then, tailored to your specifications. You will also be able to determine if a team is right for you. I would suggest that at that point you might have interested friends who might join you in your grand adventure. Training and playing with 1+ extremely trusted friends is a much better prospect than hoping to get on a team with a bunch of unknowns, and trusting them with many thousands of your dollars. But this is all a worry for tomorrow. Today, practice your count, learn stuff, and go count down some real world decks.