How does the timer work during the Events?

Have same problem, In New Zealand Events start at 1am. currently. If you start then sign out after doing 10 - 15 challenges to go and get some sleep then sign in after work all of a sudden  have take 13 - 14 hours when you know your time is less 2 hours! very unfair

There are two elapsed timers: The one that counts towards your Events score (and determines your place at the finish) is the total time spent actually playing each game. It doesn't matter how many times you take a break or how long you wait in between games.

The cumulative time, which shows up on the lower right of the screen before you look at the entire group finishers, is the time it took from when you started the first game until you finished the final game. It doesn't show up in the rankings but I think that may be a tie breaker if two people finish with the same score and game-time.

Whenever you take a break from Events, be certain that you either finish the current challenge or cancel it, and to be sure I usually close Solitaire until I come back. If you walk away with a game open, the away time will count as playing time as well as total elapsed time.

I don't know either but I would have thought it should be the cumulative total for how long it took to complete each challenge but it doesn't seem to work that way.  In Australia the challenges start at 10pm.  I did most of the challenges for one event in the evening and then did the last three expert challenges the following morning and my night's sleep was included in my total time 9:38:55.  I was on target for a top 5 finish too!  I wish Microsoft would fix this as it can't be meant to work this way.

I don't know either but I would have thought it should be the cumulative total for how long it took to complete each challenge but it doesn't seem to work that way.  In Australia the challenges start at 10pm.  I did most of the challenges for one event in the evening and then did the last three expert challenges the following morning and my night's sleep was included in my total time 9:38:55.  I was on target for a top 5 finish too!  I wish Microsoft would fix this as it can't be meant to work this way.

optodata is correct - be CERTAIN that you either finish the challenge you are currently in or cancel it.  I just closed it down mid-challenge because I was tired and the time continued until I looked at it again the next morning. Thanks optpdata for the info.

I agree with you that it should simply track actual time solving the puzzles but, like you, was dismayed to discover that it seems to measure clock time. 

Roger

There are two elapsed timers: The one that counts towards your Events score (and determines your place at the finish) is the total time spent actually playing each game. It doesn't matter how many times you take a break or how long you wait in between games.

The cumulative time, which shows up on the lower right of the screen before you look at the entire group finishers, is the time it took from when you started the first game until you finished the final game. It doesn't show up in the rankings but I think that may be a tie breaker if two people finish with the same score and game-time.

Whenever you take a break from Events, be certain that you either finish the current challenge or cancel it, and to be sure I usually close Solitaire until I come back. If you walk away with a game open, the away time will count as playing time as well as total elapsed time.

Thanks, I will try that approach and see how it works.

Roger

There are two elapsed timers: The one that counts towards your Events score (and determines your place at the finish) is the total time spent actually playing each game. It doesn't matter how many times you take a break or how long you wait in between games.

The cumulative time, which shows up on the lower right of the screen before you look at the entire group finishers, is the time it took from when you started the first game until you finished the final game. It doesn't show up in the rankings but I think that may be a tie breaker if two people finish with the same score and game-time.

Whenever you take a break from Events, be certain that you either finish the current challenge or cancel it, and to be sure I usually close Solitaire until I come back. If you walk away with a game open, the away time will count as playing time as well as total elapsed time.

Thanks, I will try that approach and see how it works.

Roger

I've experienced similar problems with Microsoft Solitaire on Windows 10.  I'm pretty proficient, and have completed all the challenges 7 times so far.  Tonight, when I went out to dinner, I had Solitaire running, but I was definitely NOT in a game when I left, and all the time in between was added to my cumulative time. Instead of getting the competitive cumulative time I earned, I'm dropped to the rear end of everyone with a perfect score.