Best Way to do Hyperlinks for SEO

hi

maybe someone can help me with this please? I am no expert and am just learning...

I read somewhere that on a web site if you have a links page, it is much better for SEO and for serach engines to pick up links if you have..

instead of (as an example)

Visit The Best Irish Web Discussion Forum: http://www.irishwebmasterforum.com

you have it so the words The Best Irish Webmasters Forum are on the links page, and with the hyperlink hidden under the words, so when you click the words, you are linked to the web site.

The Best Irish Webmasters Forum

Is it true that using this method of posting links to your site, is a much better way of getting up search engines rankings?

Thanks

G