Auto follows the desk: a player on the block, the bid, the sale. Anything else here holds the screen until you put it back on Auto — but the desk still takes it the moment it does something.
Switched off means the LED skips that part entirely. With everything off it is still the player, the bid and the price, and the night runs.
Shows that sponsor's full card straight away — for when one of them walks in.
Leave it clear and the idle screen simply carries the branding, with no clock. It is never a made-up number.